Structure, biochemical function, and signaling mechanism of plant NLRs

To counter pathogen invasion, plants have evolved a large number of immune receptors, including membrane-resident pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and intracellular nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs). Our knowledge about PRR and NLR signaling mechanisms has expanded significantly over the past few years. Plant NLRs form multi-protein complexes called resistosomes in response to pathogen effectors, and the signaling mediated by NLR resistosomes converges on Ca2+-permeable channels. Ca2+-permeable channels important for PRR signaling have also been identified. These findings highlight a crucial role of Ca2+ in triggering plant immune signaling. In this review, we first discuss the structural and biochemical mechanisms of non-canonical NLR Ca2+ channels and then summarize our knowledge about immune-related Ca2+-permeable channels and their roles in PRR and NLR signaling. We also discuss the potential role of Ca2+ in the intricate interaction between PRR and NLR signaling.