TY - JOUR
T1 - The oomycete effector-targeted nuclear envelope protein StKAKU4 negatively regulates plant immunity via vesicle trafficking
AU - Zhou, Jing
AU - Nie, Jiahui
AU - Qi, Yetong
AU - Wu, Xinya
AU - Liu, Lang
AU - Guo, Lei
AU - Wu, Xintong
AU - Cheng, Dong
AU - Xu, Meng
AU - Yu, Ruimin
AU - Sun, Qingguo
AU - Qiu, Huishan
AU - Birch, Paul R. J.
AU - Tian, Zhendong
N1 - Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact [email protected] for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact [email protected].
PY - 2026/5/26
Y1 - 2026/5/26
N2 - Nucleoskeleton proteins modulate nuclear structure and play important roles in diverse cellular processes. Yet, their functions in immune responses are poorly understood. Here, we report that a nucleoskeleton protein, potato lamin-like protein StKAKU4, is targeted and stabilized by the oomycete RxLR effector Pi22798 to suppress immunity. StKAKU4 predominantly localizes to the nuclear envelope (NE) and is frequently trafficked between the NE and endosomal organelles. Enhanced expression of KAKU4 in Nicotiana benthamiana significantly increases Phytophthora infestans infection, whereas silencing of KAKU4 in potato and N. benthamiana enhances resistance, suggesting that it acts as a susceptibility (S) factor. GFP-StKAKU4 accumulates at the extrahaustorial membrane (EHM) during P. infestans infection. Moreover, Pi22798 interacts with StKAKU4 at the NE and accelerates endomembrane trafficking of StKAKU4 to the cytoplasm. An endomembrane enrichment assay indicates that StKAKU4 is involved in intracellular transport. In the immunopurified GFP-StKAKU4-associated endomembrane proteome, both host immunity-associated proteins and several P. infestans RxLR effectors are enriched, whereas apoplastic effectors such as PiSCR74, which do not enter host cells, are not. Our findings reveal a mechanism by which the potato NE protein StKAKU4 is involved in vesicle trafficking and is exploited by P. infestans to facilitate infection and colonization, offering valuable insights into S factors and potential strategies for improving disease resistance.
AB - Nucleoskeleton proteins modulate nuclear structure and play important roles in diverse cellular processes. Yet, their functions in immune responses are poorly understood. Here, we report that a nucleoskeleton protein, potato lamin-like protein StKAKU4, is targeted and stabilized by the oomycete RxLR effector Pi22798 to suppress immunity. StKAKU4 predominantly localizes to the nuclear envelope (NE) and is frequently trafficked between the NE and endosomal organelles. Enhanced expression of KAKU4 in Nicotiana benthamiana significantly increases Phytophthora infestans infection, whereas silencing of KAKU4 in potato and N. benthamiana enhances resistance, suggesting that it acts as a susceptibility (S) factor. GFP-StKAKU4 accumulates at the extrahaustorial membrane (EHM) during P. infestans infection. Moreover, Pi22798 interacts with StKAKU4 at the NE and accelerates endomembrane trafficking of StKAKU4 to the cytoplasm. An endomembrane enrichment assay indicates that StKAKU4 is involved in intracellular transport. In the immunopurified GFP-StKAKU4-associated endomembrane proteome, both host immunity-associated proteins and several P. infestans RxLR effectors are enriched, whereas apoplastic effectors such as PiSCR74, which do not enter host cells, are not. Our findings reveal a mechanism by which the potato NE protein StKAKU4 is involved in vesicle trafficking and is exploited by P. infestans to facilitate infection and colonization, offering valuable insights into S factors and potential strategies for improving disease resistance.
U2 - 10.1093/plphys/kiag301
DO - 10.1093/plphys/kiag301
M3 - Article
C2 - 42184977
SN - 0032-0889
VL - 201
JO - Plant Physiology
JF - Plant Physiology
IS - 3
M1 - kiag301
ER -