The innate immune response to bacterial flagellin is mediated by Toll-like receptor 5

The innate immune system recognizes pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that are expressed on infectious agents, but not on the host. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize PAMPs and mediate the production of cytokines necessary for the development of effective immunity. Flagellin, a principal component of bacterial flagella, is a virulence factor that is recognized by the innate immune system in organisms as diverse as flies, plants and mammals. Here we report that mammalian TLR5 recognizes bacterial flagellin from both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and that activation of the receptor mobilizes the nuclear factor NF-kappaB and stimulates tumour necrosis factor-alpha production. TLR5-stimulating activity was purified from Listeria monocytogenes culture supernatants and identified as flagellin by tandem mass spectrometry. Expression of L. monocytogenes flagellin in non-flagellated Escherichia coli conferred on the bacterium the ability to activate TLR5, whereas deletion of the flagellin genes from Salmonella typhimurium abrogated TLR5-stimulating activity. All known TLRs signal through the adaptor protein MyD88. Mice challenged with bacterial flagellin rapidly produced systemic interleukin-6, whereas MyD88-null mice did not respond to flagellin. Our data suggest that TLR5, a member of the evolutionarily conserved Toll-like receptor family, has evolved to permit mammals specifically to detect flagellated bacterial pathogens.     

A flagellin-induced complex of the receptor FLS2 and BAK1 initiates plant defence

Plants sense potential microbial invaders by using pattern-recognition receptors to recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). In Arabidopsis thaliana, the leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases flagellin-sensitive 2 (FLS2) (ref. 2) and elongation factor Tu receptor (EFR) (ref. 3) act as pattern-recognition receptors for the bacterial PAMPs flagellin and elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) (ref. 5) and contribute to resistance against bacterial pathogens. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms that link receptor activation to intracellular signal transduction. Here we show that BAK1 (BRI1-associated receptor kinase 1), a leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase that has been reported to regulate the brassinosteroid receptor BRI1 (refs 6,7), is involved in signalling by FLS2 and EFR. Plants carrying bak1 mutations show normal flagellin binding but abnormal early and late flagellin-triggered responses, indicating that BAK1 acts as a positive regulator in signalling. The bak1-mutant plants also show a reduction in early, but not late, EF-Tu-triggered responses. The decrease in responses to PAMPs is not due to reduced sensitivity to brassinosteroids. We provide evidence that FLS2 and BAK1 form a complex in vivo, in a specific ligand-dependent manner, within the first minutes of stimulation with flagellin. Thus, BAK1 is not only associated with developmental regulation through the plant hormone receptor BRI1 (refs 6,7), but also has a functional role in PRR-dependent signalling, which initiates innate immunity.     

Stem-cell-triggered immunity through CLV3p-FLS2 signalling

Stem cells in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) of plants are the self-renewable reservoir for leaf, stem and flower organogenesis. In nature, disease-free plants can be regenerated from SAM despite infections elsewhere, which underlies a horticultural practice for decades. However, the molecular basis of the SAM immunity remains unclear. Here we show that the CLAVATA3 peptide (CLV3p), expressed and secreted from stem cells and functioning as a key regulator of stem-cell homeostasis in the SAM of Arabidopsis, can trigger immune signalling and pathogen resistance via the flagellin receptor kinase FLS2 (refs 5, 6). CLV3p-FLS2 signalling acts independently from the stem-cell signalling pathway mediated through CLV1 and CLV2 receptors, and is uncoupled from FLS2-mediated growth suppression. Endogenous CLV3p perception in the SAM by a pattern recognition receptor for bacterial flagellin, FLS2, breaks the previously defined self and non-self discrimination in innate immunity. The dual perception of CLV3p illustrates co-evolution of plant peptide and receptor kinase signalling for both development and immunity. The enhanced immunity in SAM or germ lines may represent a common strategy towards immortal fate in plants and animals.     

植物类黄酮的生理功能与抗菌机制

类黄酮是植物产生于不同部位的一大类次生代谢小分子,在植物各器官履行多种生理功能;对人类健康有广泛的药理和有益作用,包括抗氧化活性、自由基清除能力、预防冠心病、抗动脉粥样硬化、保肝、抗炎和抗癌活性,已获得医药及保健业的高度关注;研究表明:类黄酮还能通过破坏细菌细胞膜、抑制细菌脂肪酸、粘肽层、核酸与电子传递链和ATP合成、抑制细菌金属酶活性等,发挥抗菌抑菌作用;在细胞水平上可阻止细菌粘附到宿主受体,抑制细菌生物膜形成,不仅选择性地针对细菌细胞,也抑制毒性因子以及其他形式的微生物威胁;一些植物类黄酮能明显逆转抗生素的抗药性,提高其药效;开发和应用类黄酮药物,对抗生素耐药感染可能是一有前途的方法。     

植物模式识别受体FLS2的研究进展

植物通过模式识别受体识别病原微生物保守的分子,开启第一层次免疫屏障,以此实现对各种微生物的非寄主抗性和产生基础防御。第一个被鉴定的植物模式识别受体是识别细菌鞭毛蛋白的拟南芥FLS2,围绕FLS2的大量研究为其他模式识别受体的研究提供了范例,促进了植物免疫理论的建立和发展。通过介绍FLS2的发现过程、命名过程的插曲、结构与功能、激活步骤与相关元件、调控的分子机制、FLS2与病原微生物效应因子的相互作用以及FLS2在被子植物中的系统发生关系,对FLS2研究中显现的蛋白污染和C末端标签问题进行了分析,并介绍了依靠遗传转化植物模式识别受体基因,培育广谱耐久抗病植物的前景。     

转基因小黑杨对土壤微生物群落结构的影响

为评价转基因林木环境释放可能引起的生态风险,以及转基因林木在生产应用中的可行性和可靠性,以实验室种植的转Bt-蜘蛛神经毒肽重组基因的小黑杨为材料,对转基因与非转基因植株根际(通常为几毫米至几厘米)土壤细菌、放线菌、真菌数量和基因水平转移情况进行检测,结果表明:转基因小黑杨种植一段时间后其根系附近的微生物数量略高于非转基因小黑杨。利用卡那霉素选择培养基分离根系周围细菌菌落发现转基因植株周围的土样细菌中,Kan^R抗性细菌菌落数占总细菌菌落的比例在11.58%～13.00%之间,而非转基因植株根际周围和空白土壤细菌菌落数则在5.73%～6.40%之间,表明转基因小黑杨根系对土壤细菌的抗生素抗性产生一定的影响。利用转基因植株的目的基因和抗性基因设计引物,以土壤中细菌基因组DNA为模板进行PCR扩增,转基因植株种植7个月后,根际土壤细菌菌落中含有抗性基因的菌落数量明显增加。虽然在种植1个月的转基因植株根际土壤土样细菌中未检出目的基因,但在种植7个月后的土样中检验到了很少的目的基因阳性细菌,阳性细菌菌落比例为2%～5%,检测结果表明可能有极少数Bt-蜘蛛神经毒肽重组基因发生了水平转移。     

Plant pathogens and integrated defence responses to infection.

Plants cannot move to escape environmental challenges. Biotic stresses result from a battery of potential pathogens: fungi, bacteria, nematodes and insects intercept the photosynthate produced by plants, and viruses use replication machinery at the host's expense. Plants, in turn, have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to perceive such attacks, and to translate that perception into an adaptive response. Here, we review the current knowledge of recognition-dependent disease resistance in plants. We include a few crucial concepts to compare and contrast plant innate immunity with that more commonly associated with animals. There are appreciable differences, but also surprising parallels.     

Structure of the bacterial flagellar protofilament and implications for a switch for supercoiling

The bacterial flagellar filament is a helical propeller constructed from 11 protofilaments of a single protein, flagellin. The filament switches between left- and right-handed supercoiled forms when bacteria switch their swimming mode between running and tumbling. Supercoiling is produced by two different packing interactions of flagellin called L and R. In switching from L to R, the intersubunit distance ( approximately 52 A) along the protofilament decreases by 0.8 A. Changes in the number of L and R protofilaments govern supercoiling of the filament. Here we report the 2.0 A resolution crystal structure of a Salmonella flagellin fragment of relative molecular mass 41,300. The crystal contains pairs of antiparallel straight protofilaments with the R-type repeat. By simulated extension of the protofilament model, we have identified possible switch regions responsible for the bi-stable mechanical switch that generates the 0.8 A difference in repeat distance.     

A plant receptor-like kinase required for both bacterial and fungal symbiosis

Most higher plant species can enter a root symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, in which plant carbon is traded for fungal phosphate. This is an ancient symbiosis, which has been detected in fossils of early land plants. In contrast, the nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbioses of plants with bacteria evolved more recently, and are phylogenetically restricted to the rosid I clade of plants. Both symbioses rely on partially overlapping genetic programmes. We have identified the molecular basis for this convergence by cloning orthologous SYMRK ('symbiosis receptor-like kinase') genes from Lotus and pea, which are required for both fungal and bacterial recognition. SYMRK is predicted to have a signal peptide, an extracellular domain comprising leucine-rich repeats, a transmembrane and an intracellular protein kinase domain. Lotus SYMRK is required for a symbiotic signal transduction pathway leading from the perception of microbial signal molecules to rapid symbiosis-related gene activation. The perception of symbiotic fungi and bacteria is mediated by at least one common signalling component, which could have been recruited during the evolution of root nodule symbioses from the already existing arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis.     

The NLRC4 inflammasome receptors for bacterial flagellin and type III secretion apparatus

Inflammasomes are large cytoplasmic complexes that sense microbial infections/danger molecules and induce caspase-1 activation-dependent cytokine production and macrophage inflammatory death. The inflammasome assembled by the NOD-like receptor (NLR) protein NLRC4 responds to bacterial flagellin and a conserved type III secretion system (TTSS) rod component. How the NLRC4 inflammasome detects the two bacterial products and the molecular mechanism of NLRC4 inflammasome activation are not understood. Here we show that NAIP5, a BIR-domain NLR protein required for Legionella pneumophila replication in mouse macrophages, is a universal component of the flagellin-NLRC4 pathway. NAIP5 directly and specifically interacted with flagellin, which determined the inflammasome-stimulation activities of different bacterial flagellins. NAIP5 engagement by flagellin promoted a physical NAIP5-NLRC4 association, rendering full reconstitution of a flagellin-responsive NLRC4 inflammasome in non-macrophage cells. The related NAIP2 functioned analogously to NAIP5, serving as a specific inflammasome receptor for TTSS rod proteins such as Salmonella PrgJ and Burkholderia BsaK. Genetic analysis of Chromobacterium violaceum infection revealed that the TTSS needle protein CprI can stimulate NLRC4 inflammasome activation in human macrophages. Similarly, CprI is specifically recognized by human NAIP, the sole NAIP family member in human. The finding that NAIP proteins are inflammasome receptors for bacterial flagellin and TTSS apparatus components further predicts that the remaining NAIP family members may recognize other unidentified microbial products to activate NLRC4 inflammasome-mediated innate immunity.     

Widespread distribution and fitness contribution of Xanthomonas campestris avirulence gene avrBs2

Disease-resistance genes introduced into cultivated plants are often rendered ineffective by the ability of pathogen populations to overcome host resistance. The bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pathovar vesicatoria causes bacterial spot disease of tomato and pepper, and this pathogen has been shown to overcome disease resistance in pepper (Capsicum annuum) by evading the recognition and defence response of the host plant. Numerous resistance genes to bacterial spot have been identified in pepper and its wild relatives, each providing resistance to specific races of X.c. vesicatoria. The resistance gene Bs1, for example, provides resistance to X.c. vesicatoria strains expressing the avirulence gene avrBs1; Bs2 provides resistance to stains expressing avrBs2 and so on. We now report that avr Bs2 is highly conserved among strains of X.c. vesicatoria, and among many other pathovars of X. campestris. Furthermore, we find that avrBs2 is in fact needed for full virulence of the pathogen on susceptible hosts. This implies that plants carrying Bs2 can recognize an essential gene of the bacterial pathogen, which may explain why Bs2 confers the only effective field resistance to X.c. vesicatoria in pepper.     

Detection of prokaryotic mRNA signifies microbial viability and promotes immunity

Live vaccines have long been known to trigger far more vigorous immune responses than their killed counterparts. This has been attributed to the ability of live microorganisms to replicate and express specialized virulence factors that facilitate invasion and infection of their hosts. However, protective immunization can often be achieved with a single injection of live, but not dead, attenuated microorganisms stripped of their virulence factors. Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), which are detected by the immune system, are present in both live and killed vaccines, indicating that certain poorly characterized aspects of live microorganisms, not incorporated in dead vaccines, are particularly effective at inducing protective immunity. Here we show that the mammalian innate immune system can directly sense microbial viability through detection of a special class of viability-associated PAMPs (vita-PAMPs). We identify prokaryotic messenger RNA as a vita-PAMP present only in viable bacteria, the recognition of which elicits a unique innate response and a robust adaptive antibody response. Notably, the innate response evoked by viability and prokaryotic mRNA was thus far considered to be reserved for pathogenic bacteria, but we show that even non-pathogenic bacteria in sterile tissues can trigger similar responses, provided that they are alive. Thus, the immune system actively gauges the infectious risk by searching PAMPs for signatures of microbial life and thus infectivity. Detection of vita-PAMPs triggers a state of alert not warranted for dead bacteria. Vaccine formulations that incorporate vita-PAMPs could thus combine the superior protection of live vaccines with the safety of dead vaccines.     

Innate immune recognition of bacterial ligands by NAIPs determines inflammasome specificity

Inflammasomes are a family of cytosolic multiprotein complexes that initiate innate immune responses to pathogenic microbes by activating the caspase 1 protease. Although genetic data support a critical role for inflammasomes in immune defence and inflammatory diseases, the molecular basis by which individual inflammasomes respond to specific stimuli remains poorly understood. The inflammasome that contains the NLRC4 (NLR family, CARD domain containing 4) protein was previously shown to be activated in response to two distinct bacterial proteins, flagellin and PrgJ, a conserved component of pathogen-associated type III secretion systems. However, direct binding between NLRC4 and flagellin or PrgJ has never been demonstrated. A homologue of NLRC4, NAIP5 (NLR family, apoptosis inhibitory protein 5), has been implicated in activation of NLRC4 (refs 7-11), but is widely assumed to have only an auxiliary role, as NAIP5 is often dispensable for NLRC4 activation. However, Naip5 is a member of a small multigene family, raising the possibility of redundancy and functional specialization among Naip genes. Here we show in mice that different NAIP paralogues determine the specificity of the NLRC4 inflammasome for distinct bacterial ligands. In particular, we found that activation of endogenous NLRC4 by bacterial PrgJ requires NAIP2, a previously uncharacterized member of the NAIP gene family, whereas NAIP5 and NAIP6 activate NLRC4 specifically in response to bacterial flagellin. We dissected the biochemical mechanism underlying the requirement for NAIP proteins by use of a reconstituted NLRC4 inflammasome system. We found that NAIP proteins control ligand-dependent oligomerization of NLRC4 and that the NAIP2-NLRC4 complex physically associates with PrgJ but not flagellin, whereas NAIP5-NLRC4 associates with flagellin but not PrgJ. Our results identify NAIPs as immune sensor proteins and provide biochemical evidence for a simple receptor-ligand model for activation of the NAIP-NLRC4 inflammasomes.     

Obtaining transgenic rice resistant to rice fungal blast disease by controlled cell death strategy

The strategy of the two-component system,composed of Barnase and Barstar which encode RNase and a specific inhibitor to the RNase respectively, is adopted to obtain transgenic rice resistant to rice fungal blast disease. In this study, two chimeric promoters, induced by rice blast fungus pathogen (Magnaporthe grisea), are fused with Barnase respectively to construct two plant expression vectors, pWBNBS and pPBNBS together with the Barstar driven by CaMV 35S promoter. The resistance of the transgenic rice lines to rice blast fungus disease and rice blight disease are evaluated. The results show that (1) the expression of Barnase is induced in rice leaves when inoculated with the spores of Magnaporthe grisea; (2) the induced expression level of Barnase surpasses the level of Barstar, which elicits a similar hypersensitive response (HR) in the leaves, and the transgenic plant shows high resistance to the rice fungal blast disease; and (3) transgenic rice plants also show obvious resistance to rice bacterial blight disease. Taken together, these results suggest that the transgenic rice plants harboring this two-component system acquire relatively broad spectrum resistance against pathogens, especially high resistance to rice fungal pathogen.     

蜡状芽孢杆菌对番茄青枯雷尔氏菌致病性的影响

青枯雷尔氏菌（Ralstonia solanacearum）从其致病性上可分为能使植株发病的强致病力菌株和不能使植株发病的弱致病力菌株．利用蜡状芽孢杆菌（Bacillus cereus）与致病性稳定的青枯雷尔氏菌强致病力菌株进行共培养，处理后的青枯雷尔氏菌在TTC平板上表现为弱毒株的菌落特征，出现了致弱现象．经过16S rDNA基因序列测定，证明了用蜡状芽孢杆菌处理前后的菌株为青枯雷尔氏菌，并非是其它的污染菌株，通过回接番茄盆栽苗发现致弱前的青枯雷尔氏菌能有效引起番茄发生青枯病，而致弱后的菌株丧失致病力．不能引起番茄发病，     

The Shigella flexneri effector OspI deamidates UBC13 to dampen the inflammatory response

Many bacterial pathogens can enter various host cells and then survive intracellularly, transiently evade humoral immunity, and further disseminate to other cells and tissues. When bacteria enter host cells and replicate intracellularly, the host cells sense the invading bacteria as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by way of various pattern recognition receptors. As a result, the host cells induce alarm signals that activate the innate immune system. Therefore, bacteria must modulate host inflammatory signalling and dampen these alarm signals. How pathogens do this after invading epithelial cells remains unclear, however. Here we show that OspI, a Shigella flexneri effector encoded by ORF169b on the large plasmid and delivered by the type ΙΙΙ secretion system, dampens acute inflammatory responses during bacterial invasion by suppressing the tumour-necrosis factor (TNF)-receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6)-mediated signalling pathway. OspI is a glutamine deamidase that selectively deamidates the glutamine residue at position 100 in UBC13 to a glutamic acid residue. Consequently, the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating activity required for TRAF6 activation is inhibited, allowing S. flexneri OspI to modulate the diacylglycerol-CBM (CARD-BCL10-MALT1) complex-TRAF6-nuclear-factor-κB signalling pathway. We determined the 2.0 ? crystal structure of OspI, which contains a putative cysteine-histidine-aspartic acid catalytic triad. A mutational analysis showed this catalytic triad to be essential for the deamidation of UBC13. Our results suggest that S. flexneri inhibits acute inflammatory responses in the initial stage of infection by targeting the UBC13-TRAF6 complex.     

植物天然免疫系统研究进展

很多植物病原菌严重地损害植物的生长和繁殖。植物与病原体协同进化过程中,也逐渐形成了一系列复杂高效的保护机制来抵御病原物的侵染。植物中抵抗外界微生物刺激所形成的系统被称为植物天然免疫系统,可分为两个层次。第1个层次是植物模式识别受体(PRRs)识别病原相关分子模式(PAMPs),触发病原相关分子模式触发的免疫反应（PTI）,激活植物体中促丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(MAPK)信号通路使植物产生早期应答反应。PTI适应性较广,可识别和响应包括非致病菌的许多类微生物。第2个层次是病原菌产生效应因子抑制基础免疫响应PTI,而植物产生针对性更强的抗性蛋白(R蛋白)识别效应因子,并通过效应因子触发型免疫(ETI)来重建植物的抗性。笔者综述了近年来植物天然免疫系统的研究进展,认为随着对植物天然免疫系统研究的深入,应重视PTI和ETI的结合利用,有效扩大植物抗菌谱,改良植物ETI抗性。     

Isochorismate synthase is required to synthesize salicylic acid for plant defence.

Salicylic acid (SA) mediates plant defences against pathogens, accumulating in both infected and distal leaves in response to pathogen attack. Pathogenesis-related gene expression and the synthesis of defensive compounds associated with both local and systemic acquired resistance (LAR and SAR) in plants require SA. In Arabidopsis, exogenous application of SA suffices to establish SAR, resulting in enhanced resistance to a variety of pathogens. However, despite its importance in plant defence against pathogens, SA biosynthesis is not well defined. Previous work has suggested that plants synthesize SA from phenylalanine; however, SA could still be produced when this pathway was inhibited, and the specific activity of radiolabelled SA in feeding experiments was often lower than expected. Some bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa synthesize SA using isochorismate synthase (ICS) and pyruvate lyase. Here we show, by cloning and characterizing an Arabidopsis defence-related gene (SID2) defined by mutation, that SA is synthesized from chorismate by means of ICS, and that SA made by this pathway is required for LAR and SAR responses.     

鞭毛蛋白毒素导致的黑松超微结构病理学变化

【目的】以松材线虫、致病细菌荧光假单胞菌及其鞭毛蛋白毒素、非致病细菌缓慢葡萄球菌等材料对3年生黑松进行接种试验,通过其样枝切片的超微结构病理学变化,了解致病细菌毒素在松萎蔫病中的作用。【方法】分别以野生松材线虫悬液、荧光假单胞菌菌株GcM5-1A无细胞滤液、无菌松材线虫+荧光假单胞菌菌株GcM5-1A、荧光假单胞菌菌株GcM5-1A的鞭毛蛋白毒素Flg、无菌松材线虫+缓慢葡萄球菌菌株AM2C、无菌松材线虫悬液接种黑松,以健康松树为对照。对于发病的处理,在接种后病程的第2或第3阶段取样; 对于未发病的处理,则在接种11 d后取样。取样时,在距离接种点不同位置进行,然后制备透射电镜样品,观察这些切片的超微结构变化。【结果】野生松材线虫、GcM5-1A无细胞滤液、无菌松材线虫+GcM5-1A、GcM5-1A鞭毛蛋白毒素等4种处理下黑松树体组织的超微结构均遭受严重破坏,病理学变化趋势一致。无菌松材线虫、无菌松材线虫+AM2C等两种处理下树体组织基本未遭受破坏,超微结构观察结果与健康松树的基本一致。GcM5-1A无细胞滤液与野生松材线虫的处理中,在靠近接种点处,前者处理下切片的超微结构受害比后者严重; 在远离接种点处,前者受害反而比后者轻。通过GcM5-1A无细胞滤液与野生松材线虫接种观察结果比较,发现松材线虫在树体内的移动加速了致病菌的扩散,导致毒素的增产和扩散,加速了松树的死亡。【结论】在接种处理的第2阶段是松萎蔫病发展的关键阶段。无菌松材线虫不能致死松树,而松材线虫携带的致病细菌产生的毒素是致死松树的真正原因,验证了松萎蔫病是松材线虫与其携带致病细菌的复合侵染导致病害的假说,而松材线虫在树体内的移动加速了致病菌的扩散,最终导致松树加速死亡。