Phytophthora sojae leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases: diverse and essential roles in development and pathogenicity

• Published in: iScience 2021-07, Vol.24 (7), p.102725-102725, Article 102725
• Main Authors: Si, Jierui, Pei, Yong, Shen, Danyu, Ji, Peiyun, Xu, Ruofei, Xue, Xue, Peng, Hao, Liang, Xiangxiu, Dou, Daolong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological Sciences; Microbiology; Plant Biology
• ISSN: 2589-0042; 2589-0042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102725

Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) are critical signal receptors in plant development and defense. Like plants, oomycete pathogen genomes also harbor LRR-RLKs, but their functions remain largely unknown. Here, we systematically characterize all the 24 LRR-RLK genes (PsRLKs) from Phytophthora sojae, which is a model of oomycete pathogens. Although none of them was required for vegetative growth, the specific PsRLKs are important for stress responses, zoospore production, zoospores chemotaxis, and pathogenicity. Interestingly, the Gα subunit PsGPA1 interacts with the five chemotaxis-related PsRLKs via their intracellular kinase domains, and expression of PsGPA1 gene is downregulated in the three mutants (ΔPsRLK17/22/24). Moreover, we generated the PsRLK-PsRLK interaction network of P. sojae and found that PsRLK21, together with PsRLK10 or PsRLK17, regulate virulence by direct association. Taken together, our results reveal the diverse roles of LRR-RLKs in modulating P. sojae development, interaction with soybean, and responses to diverse environmental factors. [Display omitted] •Systematically functional analysis of LRR-RLK family with 24 members in P. sojae•Five chemotaxis-related PsRLKs directly interact with Gα protein PsGPA1•PsRLKs form an interaction network in P. sojae•The complex PsRLK21-PsRLK10/17 jointly regulates pathogenesis Biological sciences; Microbiology; Plant biology