A kiss of death--proteasome-mediated membrane fusion and programmed cell death in plant defense against bacterial infection.
Eukaryotes have evolved various means for controlled and organized cellular destruction, known as programmed cell death (PCD). In plants, PCD is a crucial regulatory mechanism in multiple physiological processes, including terminal differentiation, senescence, and disease resistance. In this issue of Genes & Development, Hatsugai and colleagues (pp. 2496-2506) demonstrate a novel plant defense strategy to trigger bacteria-induced PCD, involving proteasome-dependent tonoplast and plasma membrane fusion followed by discharge of vacuolar antimicrobial and death-inducing contents into the apoplast.
Pajerowska-Mukhtar
Karolina
K
Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
Dong
Xinnian
X
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D053148:Caspase 3; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D008561:Membrane Fusion / Q000502:physiology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D044224:Pseudomonas syringae / Q000502:physiology*
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D053148:Caspase 3; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex