title: A kiss of death--proteasome-mediated membrane fusion and programmed cell death in plant defense against bacterial infection.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pajerowska-Mukhtar
authors.forename: Xinnian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D053148:Caspase 3; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex