RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The N Terminus of Bacterial Elongation Factor Tu Elicits Innate Immunity in Arabidopsis Plants
JF The Plant Cell
JO Plant Cell
FD American Society of Plant Biologists
SP 3496
OP 3507
DO 10.1105/tpc.104.026765
VO 16
IS 12
A1 Kunze, Gernot
A1 Zipfel, Cyril
A1 Robatzek, Silke
A1 Niehaus, Karsten
A1 Boller, Thomas
A1 Felix, Georg
YR 2004
UL http://www.plantcell.org/content/16/12/3496.abstract
AB Innate immunity is based on the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Here, we show that elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu), the most abundant bacterial protein, acts as a PAMP in Arabidopsis thaliana and other Brassicaceae. EF-Tu is highly conserved in all bacteria and is known to be N-acetylated in Escherichia coli. Arabidopsis plants specifically recognize the N terminus of the protein, and an N-acetylated peptide comprising the first 18 amino acids, termed elf18, is fully active as inducer of defense responses. The shorter peptide, elf12, comprising the acetyl group and the first 12 N-terminal amino acids, is inactive as elicitor but acts as a specific antagonist for EF-Tu–related elicitors. In leaves of Arabidopsis plants, elf18 induces an oxidative burst and biosynthesis of ethylene, and it triggers resistance to subsequent infection with pathogenic bacteria.