Hiroaki Adachi

• PostDoc Position at Sainsbury Laboratory

Nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat immune receptors (NLRs) are known for their rapid evolution, even at the intraspecific level, yet the rates of evolution differ significantly across various NLR classes. Within the NRC (NLR Required for Cell Death) network, NLRs operate in complex sensor-helper configurations to confer immunity agai...

In recent years, the increase in genome sequencing across diverse plant species has provided a significant advantage for phylogenomics studies, allowing the analysis of one of the most diverse gene families in plants: nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs). However, due to the sequence diversity of the NLR gene family, identifying...

Nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat-containing receptor (NLR) proteins can form complex receptor networks to confer innate immunity. An NLR-REQUIRED FOR CELL DEATH (NRC) is a phylogenetically related node that functions downstream of a massively expanded network of disease resistance proteins that protect against multiple plant pathog...

Nucleotide‐binding domain and leucine‐rich repeat (NLR) proteins with pathogen sensor activities have evolved to initiate immune signaling by activating helper NLRs. However, the mechanisms underpinning helper NLR activation by sensor NLRs remain poorly understood. Although coiled coil (CC) type sensor NLRs such as the Potato virus X disease resist...

Nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat immune receptors (NLRs) confer disease resistance to a multitude of foliar and root parasites of plants. However, the extent to which NLR immunity is expressed differentially between plant organs is poorly known. Here, we show that a large cluster of tomato genes, which encodes the cyst and root-kno...

Nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins with pathogen sensor activities have evolved to initiate immune signaling by activating helper NLRs. However, the mechanisms underpinning helper NLR activation by sensor NLRs remain poorly understood. Although coiled-coil (CC) type sensor NLRs such as the Potato virus X disease resist...

NLR (nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat-containing) proteins can form complex receptor networks to confer innate immunity. NRCs are phylogenetically related nodes that function downstream of a massively expanded network of disease resistance proteins that protect against multiple plant pathogens. Here, we used phylogenomic methods to...

Plant nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) immune receptors generally exhibit hallmarks of rapid evolution, even at the intraspecific level. We used iterative sequence similarity searches coupled with phylogenetic analyses to reconstruct the evolutionary history of HOPZ-ACTIVATED RESISTANCE1 (ZAR1), an atypically conserved NLR that traces i...

The NRC immune receptor network has evolved in asterid plants from a pair of linked genes into a genetically dispersed and phylogenetically structured network of sensor and helper NLR (nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat-containing) proteins. In some species, such as the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana and other Solanaceae, the NRC...

Cell surface pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) activate immune responses that can include the hypersensitive cell death. However, the pathways that link PRRs to the cell death response are poorly understood. Here, we show that the cell surface receptor-like protein Cf-4 requires the intracellular nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat con...

Plants have many types of immune receptors that recognize diverse pathogen molecules and activate the innate immune system. The intracellular immune receptor family of nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat–containing proteins (NLRs) perceive translocated pathogen effector proteins and execute a robust immune response, including programmed c...

Species of the genus Phytophthora - the plant killer - cause disease and reduce yields in many crop plants. Although many Resistance to Phytophthora infestans (Rpi) genes effective against potato late blight have been cloned, few have been cloned against other Phytophthora species. Most Rpi genes encode nucleotide-binding, leucine-rich repeat- cont...

The NRC immune receptor network has evolved in asterid plants from a pair of linked genes into a genetically dispersed and phylogenetically structured network of sensor and helper NLR (nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat-containing) proteins. In some species, such as the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana and other Solanaceae, the NRC...

Reference datasets are critical in computational biology. They help define canonical biological features and are essential for benchmarking studies. Here, we describe a comprehensive reference dataset of experimentally validated plant nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) immune receptors. RefPlantNLR consists of 481 NLRs from 31 genera belo...

Nicotiana benthamiana has emerged as a complementary experimental system to Arabidopsis thaliana. It enables fast-forward in vivo analyses primarily through transient gene expression and is particularly popular in the study of plant immunity. Recently, our understanding of nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) plant immune receptors has grea...

Cell surface pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) activate immune responses that can include the hypersensitive cell death. However, the pathways that link PRRs to the cell death response are poorly understood. Here, we show that the cell surface receptor-like protein Cf-4 requires the intracellular nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat con...

Significance Plant NLRs function as intracellular immune sensors of pathogen virulence factors known as effectors. In the resting state, NLRs localize to subcellular sites where the effectors they sense operate. However, the extent to which NLRs alter their subcellular distribution during infection remains elusive. We describe dynamic changes in sp...

In plants, nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat (NLR)-containing proteins can form receptor networks to confer hypersensitive cell death and innate immunity. One class of NLRs, known as NLR required for cell death (NRCs), are central nodes in a complex network that protects against multiple pathogens and comprises up to half of the NLR...

Diverse pathogens from the genus Phytophthora cause disease and reduce yields in many crop plants. Although many Resistance to Phytophthora infestans ( Rpi ) genes effective against potato late blight have been cloned, few have been cloned against other Phytophthora species. Most Rpi genes encode nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat- cont...

Plants employ sensor-helper pairs of NLR immune receptors to recognize pathogen effectors and activate immune responses. Yet the subcellular localization of NLRs pre- and post-activation during pathogen infection remains poorly known. Here we show that NRC4, from the ‘NRC’ solanaceous helper NLR family, undergoes dynamic changes in subcellular loca...

In plants, NLR (nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat-containing) proteins can form receptor networks to confer hypersensitive cell death and innate immunity. One class of NLRs, known as NRCs (NLR required for cell death), are central nodes in a complex network that protects against multiple pathogens and comprises up to half of the NLR...

Late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans greatly constrains potato production. Many Resistance (R) genes were cloned from wild Solanum species and/or introduced into potato cultivars by breeding. However, individual R genes have been overcome by P. infestans evolution; durable resistance remains elusive. We positionally cloned a new R gene, Rpi...

NLR immune receptors form one of the most diverse protein families in flowering plants (angiosperms). NLRs have massively expanded through birth-and-death evolution and typically exhibit hallmarks of rapid evolution even at the intraspecific level. Here, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of ZAR1, an atypically conserved NLR that traces its...

The molecular codes underpinning the functions of plant NLR immune receptors are poorly understood. We used in vitro Mu transposition to generate a random truncation library and identify the minimal functional region of NLRs. We applied this method to NRC4—a helper NLR that functions with multiple sensor NLRs within a Solanaceae receptor network. T...

NLRs are modular plant and animal proteins that are intracellular sensors of pathogen-associated molecules. Upon pathogen perception, NLRs trigger a potent broad-spectrum immune reaction known as the hypersensitive response. An emerging paradigm is that plant NLR immune receptors form networks with varying degrees of complexity. NLRs may have evolv...

Plants utilise cell surface pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and intracellular nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat containing receptors (NLRs) to fend off invading pathogens. Although PRR- and NLR-triggered immunity are generally thought to activate distinct pathways, they can induce similar outputs. However, whether these two pathway...

The molecular codes underpinning the functions of plant NLR immune receptors are poorly understood. We used in vitro Mu transposition to generate a random truncation library and identify the minimal functional region of NLRs. We applied this method to NRC4, a helper NLR that functions with multiple sensor NLRs within a Solanaceae receptor network....

Pathogen perception triggers a monomeric nucleotide-binding leucine-rich plant immune receptor to form a pentameric wheel-like complex termed a resistosome, with the N-terminal α helices forming a funnel-shaped structure that may perturb plasma membrane integrity to cause hypersensitive cell death.

This article is a Commentary on Kadota et al., 221: 2160–2175.

MEK2-SIPK/WIPK cascade, a Nicotiana benthamiana mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, is an essential signaling pathway for plant immunity and involved in hypersensitive response (HR) accompanied by cell death. WRKY transcription factors as substrates of SIPK and WIPK have been isolated and implicated in HR cell death. Here, we show viru...

Plant immune responses are attributable to hierarchical immunities, pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI). The plant NADPH oxidase, RBOH, is a major player in the pathogen-responsive reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst. Nicotiana benthamiana RBOHB is responsible for both the transient PTI ROS burst and the robust ET...

Pathogen attack sequentially confers pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI) after sensing of pathogen patterns and effectors by plant immune receptors, respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play pivotal roles in PTI and ETI as signaling molecules. Nicotiana benthamiana RBOHB, an NADPH oxidase, is responsible fo...

Microbial pathogens infect host cells by delivering virulence factors (effectors) that interfere with defenses. In plants, intracellular nucleotide-binding/leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs) detect specific effector interference and trigger immunity by an unknown mechanism. The Arabidopsis-interacting NLR pair, RRS1-R with RPS4, confers resistanc...

Recent research has illustrated that signaling networks, after the plant host perceives diverse pathogen-derived signals, facilitate defense responses through mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades, calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK), or receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK). The pathogen-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst...

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important signalling molecules, which participate in multiple physiological processes including immune response, development, cell elongation and hormonal signalling in plants. Plant NADPH oxidase, termed respiratory burst oxidase homologue (RBOH), is frequently studied as a main player for pathogen-responsive ROS...

Plants activate signaling networks in response to diverse pathogen-derived signals, facilitating transcriptional reprogramming through mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades. Identification of phosphorylation targets of MAPK and in vivo detection of the phosphorylated substrates are important processes to elucidate the signaling pathway i...