title: Modulation of RNA polymerase II phosphorylation downstream of pathogen perception orchestrates plant immunity.
abstract: Perception of microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) elicits host transcriptional reprogramming as part of the immune response. Although pathogen perception is well studied, the signaling networks orchestrating immune gene expression remain less clear. In a genetic screen for components involved in the early immune gene transcription reprogramming, we identified Arabidopsis RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain (CTD) phosphatase-like 3 (CPL3) as a negative regulator of immune gene expression. MAMP perception induced rapid and transient cyclin-dependent kinase C (CDKC)-mediated phosphorylation of Arabidopsis CTD. The CDKCs, which are in turn phosphorylated and activated by a canonical MAP kinase (MAPK) cascade, represent a point of signaling convergence downstream of multiple immune receptors. CPL3 directly dephosphorylated CTD to counteract MAPK-mediated CDKC regulation. Thus, modulation of the phosphorylation dynamics of eukaryotic RNA polymerase II transcription machinery by MAPKs, CTD kinases, and phosphatases constitutes an essential mechanism for rapid orchestration of host immune gene expression and defense upon pathogen attacks.
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, and Institute for Plant Genomics & Biotechnology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Fangjun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, and Institute for Plant Genomics & Biotechnology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, and Institute for Plant Genomics & Biotechnology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Fuhao
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, and Institute for Plant Genomics & Biotechnology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, and Institute for Plant Genomics & Biotechnology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Center of Biosciences & Biotechnology, North Rio de Janeiro State University, 28013-602, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos V V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, and Institute for Plant Genomics & Biotechnology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, and Institute for Plant Genomics & Biotechnology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Xiangzong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, and Institute for Plant Genomics & Biotechnology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Center of Biosciences & Biotechnology, North Rio de Janeiro State University, 28013-602, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Intorne
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, and Institute for Plant Genomics & Biotechnology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, PR 00680, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Babilonia
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, and Institute for Plant Genomics & Biotechnology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Maoying
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, and Institute for Plant Genomics & Biotechnology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
authors.forename: Sixue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Bioscience & Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850; Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
authors.forename: Xianfeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Institute for Bioscience & Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850; Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
authors.forename: Shunyuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Zhangjun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fei
authors.affiliation: Genomics and Bioinformatics Services, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX 77845, USA.
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Metz
authors.affiliation: Genomics and Bioinformatics Services, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX 77845, USA.
authors.forename: Charles D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koiwa
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
authors.forename: Wenxian
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
authors.forename: Zhaohu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Center of Biosciences & Biotechnology, North Rio de Janeiro State University, 28013-602, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gonçalo A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: de Souza Filho
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, and Institute for Plant Genomics & Biotechnology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA. Electronic address: lshan@tamu.edu.
authors.forename: Libo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, and Institute for Plant Genomics & Biotechnology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA. Electronic address: pinghe@tamu.edu.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D044224:Pseudomonas syringae / Q000502:physiology; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; C465439:At2g33540 protein, Arabidopsis; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases