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Poster

Session: Session 1 Presenting Authors at Posters (Evens)

P-364 - Exploring the role of intrinsically disordered regions in SCAR/WAVE susceptibility factors

Tuesday, July 15, 2025
09:55 - 11:30  
Location: Confex Hall 3
Subcellular dynamics and signaling in host-microbe interactions

Plant development and environmental interactions, including microbial responses, rely on actin cytoskeleton reorganization. Branched actin filaments provide structural support and facilitate targeted protein transport. The ARP2/3 complex, which controls actin branching, is regulated by the SCAR/WAVE complex. SCAR/WAVE members control developmental and susceptibility processes that depend on polarized protein transport. Despite the widespread presence of SCAR/WAVE proteins in the plant kingdom, the specific contributions of individual members of this multi-protein family to developmental processes involved in plant susceptibility remain poorly understood. Our previous research identified the Medicago SCAR protein API as a susceptibility factor for beneficial and detrimental microbes, while the function of its homolog, HAPI1, was unknown. Here, we use a chimeric approach to compare API and HAPI1 in Medicago truncatula roots and Arabidopsis thaliana leaves, revealing functional differences linked to two central intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). We further identify a 42-amino acid sequence within one IDR that affects the stability of proteins. This study highlights IDRs as key determinants of SCAR protein function in M. truncatula, advancing our understanding of SCAR/WAVE complex dynamics. Future research should explore how SCAR protein regulation and abundance influence microbial interactions in both model and crop plants.