Speaker: Prof. Jijie Chai
Time: January 9th.10:00-11:30am
Venue: Room 111,Lynn Library
Topic:Signaling of plant NLRs: from resistosomes to second messengers
Speaker:Prof. Jijie Chai
Host:Prof. Maofu Liao
Time:January 9th.10:00-11:30am
Venue:Room 111,Lynn Library
Abstract:
Plant nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NLR) receptors play a crucial role in recognizing pathogen effectors and activating defense responses. NLRs are primarily categorized into two types: coiled-coil NLRs (CNLs) and toll-interleukin 1 receptor NLRs (TNLs). Although the signaling mechanisms of plant NLRs have only recently begun to be elucidated, significant progress has been made. The recognition process of pathogen effectors involves direct or indirect interactions with plant NLRs, leading to the oligomerization of these receptors and the formation of large protein complexes known as resistosomes. Specifically, CNL resistosomes function as calcium-permeable channels, initiating NLR-mediated immunity. This channel activity in CNLs has been shown to be evolutionarily conserved. In contrast, TNL resistosomes function as NADase holoenzymes, catalyzing the generation of nucleotide-derived small molecules. Structural and biochemical studies have revealed that these small molecules act as second messengers, activating the assembly and channel activity of resistosomes of helper NLRs, which belong to the CNL family. In this presentation, I will outline these major discoveries and discuss how NLR resistosomes converge on calcium signals to orchestrate plant defense responses.
Brief introduction of the speaker:
Jijie Chai earned his PhD in analytical chemistry from Peking Union Medical University in China in 1997. Following the completion of his postdoctoral research at Princeton University in 2004, he became an assistant investigator of the National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS) in Beijing, China. From 2017 to 2023, he held the position of Alexander von Humboldt Professor at the University of Cologne and the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Germany. In early 2023, he joined Westlake University as a Chair Professor. As a structural biologist, his research focuses on the investigation of plant receptor-like kinases (RLKs) and NOD-like receptors (NLRs). His studies have elucidated the structural and biochemical mechanisms responsible for ligand recognition and activation in these two protein families. He was honored with the 2023 Future Science Prize-Life Sciences for his contributions to the findings of plant NLR resistosomes.