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Poster

Session: Session 1 Presenting Authors at Posters (Odds)

P-267 - A hierarchical immune receptor network in lettuce reveals contrasting patterns of evolution in sensor and helper NLRs

Monday, July 14, 2025
13:30 - 15:15  
Location: Confex Hall 3
Population Biology, Ecology & Genomics

    Presenting Author(s)

  • AT

    AmirAli Toghani (he/him/his)

    PhD Student
    The Sainsbury Laboratory
    Norwich, England, United Kingdom

    • Author(s)

  • HP

    Hsuan Pai

    Research Assistant
    The Sainsbury Laborotary
    Norwich, England, United Kingdom

  • TS

    Toshiyuki Sakai

    Laboratory of Crop Evolution, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University
    Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

  • AP

    Andres Posbeyikian (he/him/his)

    PhD Student
    The Sainsbury Laboratory
    Norwich, UNITED KINGDOM

  • RF

    Raoul Frijters

    Rijk Zwaan Breeding B.V., Department of Biotechnology
    Fijnaart, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands

  • YS

    Yu Sugihara

    Postdoctoral scientist
    The Sainsbury Laboratory
    NORWICH, England, United Kingdom

  • MC

    Mauricio P. Contreras

    PostDoctoral Researcher
    The Sainsbury Laboratory
    Norwich, England, United Kingdom

  • JK

    Jiorgos Kourelis

    Imperial University

  • HA

    Hiroaki Adachi

    Laboratory of Crop Evolution, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University
    Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

  • SK

    Sophien Kamoun

    Group leader
    The Sainsbury Laboratory
    Norwich, England, United Kingdom

Nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat immune receptors (NLRs) are known for their rapid evolution, yet evolutionary rates differ significantly across NLR classes. In Asterids, within the NRC (NLR Required for Cell Death) network, NLRs function in sensor–helper configurations to confer immunity against diverse pathogens. While helper NLRs are typically conserved, sensor NLRs tend to evolve rapidly. However, the functional connections between these slow- and fast-evolving NLRs remain poorly understood, especially in crops. Here, we conducted a comparative analysis of NLRs across 40 Solanales and 29 Asterales genomes to investigate NRC network expansion and diversification within the lesser-studied Asterales. Our findings show that the NRC network has expanded less in Asterales relative to Solanales. We functionally validated a minimal Asterales NRC network with two helpers and nine sensors in common lettuce (Lactuca sativa). Through selection and entropy analyses coupled with structural modeling of NRC helper and sensor subclades in the Lactuca genus, we observed sensor diversification rates correlated with helper dependency, with sensors relying on a phylogenetically conserved helper experiencing limited diversification. Our results highlight the lineage- and function-specific evolution of the NRC network and offer insights into the evolutionary pressures shaping plant immune receptor networks.