P-070 - Recognition of microbe-derived sphingolipids in Arabidopsis

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

09:55 - 11:30

Location: Confex Hall 3

Extracellular & Intracellular non-self recognition & signaling

Presenting Author(s)

HK

Hiroaki Kato

Kyoto University
Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

Author(s)

KN

Keiichiro Nemoto

IBRC
Kitakami, Iwate, Japan
MS

Motoki Shimizu

Iwate Birotechnology Research Center
Kitakami, Iwate, Japan
AA

Akira Abe

IBRC
Kitakami, Iwate, Japan
SA

Shuta Asai

Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN
Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
NI

Nobuaki Ishihama, PhD

Research Scientist
RIKEN CSRS
Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
KS

Ken Shirasu, PhD (he/him/his)

Deputy Director
RIKEN CSRS
Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
DT

Daigo Takemoto

Professor
Grad. Sch. Bioagr. Sci., Nagoya Univ.
Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
YT

Yoshitaka Takano

Kyoto University
Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
RT

Ryohei Terauchi, PhD

Professor
Kyoto University
Muko, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

In plants, many invading microbial pathogens are recognized by cell-surface pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), inducing defense responses. Here, we show that the ceramide Phytophthora infestans-Ceramide D (Pi-Cer D) from the plant pathogenic oomycete P. infestans triggers defense responses in Arabidopsis. Pi-Cer D is cleaved by an Arabidopsis apoplastic ceramidase, NEUTRAL CERAMIDASE 2 (NCER2), and the resulting 9-methyl-branched sphingoid base is recognized by a plasma membrane lectin receptor-like kinase, RESISTANT TO DFPM-INHIBITION OF ABSCISIC ACID SIGNALING 2 (RDA2). 9-Methyl-branched sphingoid base is unique to microbes and induces plant immune responses by physically interacting with RDA2. Loss of RDA2 or NCER2 function compromised Arabidopsis resistance against an oomycete pathogen. Thus, we elucidated the recognition mechanisms of pathogen-derived lipid molecules in plants.