title: Ménage à trois: the complex relationships between mitogen-activated protein kinases, WRKY transcription factors, and VQ-motif-containing proteins.
abstract: Out of the 34 members of the VQ-motif-containing protein (VQP) family, 10 are phosphorylated by the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), MPK3 and MPK6. Most of these MPK3/6-targeted VQPs (MVQs) interacted with specific sub-groups of WRKY transcription factors in a VQ-motif-dependent manner. In some cases, the MAPK appears to phosphorylate either the MVQ or the WRKY, while in other cases, both proteins have been reported to act as MAPK substrates. We propose a network of dynamic interactions between members from the MAPK, MVQ and WRKY families - either as binary or as tripartite interactions. The compositions of the WRKY-MVQ transcriptional protein complexes may change - for instance, through MPK3/6-mediated modulation of protein stability - and therefore control defense gene transcription.
authors.affiliation: a Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry; Halle, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weyhe
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eschen-Lippold
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pecher
authors.forename: Dierk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scheel
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D060467:Disease Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010935:Plant Diseases; D025941:Protein Interaction Mapping; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
keywords: VQ-motif containing proteins (VQP); WRKY; defence; immunity; mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK); pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP); phosphorylation; signalling