ATG6 interacting with NPR1 increases <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> resistance to <i>Pst</i> DC3000/<i>avrRps4</i> by increasing its nuclear accumulation and stability.

Zhang, Baihong; Huang, Shuqin; Guo, Shuyu; Meng, Yixuan; Tian, Yuzhen; Zhou, Yue; Chen, Hang; Li, Xue et al. · Elife · 2025

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Autophagy-related gene 6 (ATG6) plays a crucial role in plant immunity. Nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1 (NPR1) acts as a signaling hub of plant immunity. However, the relationship between ATG6 and NPR1 is unclear. Here, we find that ATG6 directly interacts with NPR1. <i>ATG6</i> overexpression significantly increased nuclear accumulation of NPR1. Furthermore, we demonstrate that <i>ATG6</i> increases NPR1 protein levels and improves its stability. Interestingly, ATG6 promotes the formation of SINCs (SA-induced NPR1 condensates)-like condensates. Additionally, ATG6 and NPR1 synergistically promote the expression of <i>pathogenesis-related</i> genes. Further results showed that silencing <i>ATG6</i> in <i>NPR1-GFP</i> exacerbates <i>Pst</i> DC3000/<i>avrRps4</i> infection, while double overexpression of <i>ATG6</i> and <i>NPR1</i> synergistically inhibits <i>Pst</i> DC3000/<i>avrRps4</i> infection. In summary, our findings unveil an interplay of NPR1 with ATG6 and elucidate important molecular mechanisms for enhancing plant immunity.

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