Dual phosphorylation of DGK5-mediated PA burst regulates ROS in plant immunity. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38244548/)

These scientists wanted to understand how certain molecules in plants called phosphatidic acid (PA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) help the plants defend themselves against diseases. They studied a specific plant called Arabidopsis and a protein called diacylglycerol kinase 5 (DGK5) that is involved in plant immunity.

They found that when the plant is attacked by a disease-causing organism, a protein called BIK1 activates DGK5 by adding a chemical tag called a phosphate group to it. This activates DGK5 and causes a burst of PA production, which helps the plant fight off the disease. On the other hand, another protein called MPK4 can also add a phosphate group to DGK5, but in a different spot. This phosphorylation event suppresses DGK5 activity and reduces PA production, which weakens the plant's defense.

The scientists also discovered that PA can bind to another protein called RBOHD, which helps generate ROS. ROS are important for plant immunity because they can kill the disease-causing organisms. So, by regulating the production of PA, DGK5 helps control the amount of ROS produced by RBOHD, which in turn helps the plant fight off diseases.

Overall, the scientists found that DGK5 plays an important role in balancing the production of PA and ROS, which are both crucial for the plant's immune response. By understanding how these molecules work together, scientists can learn more about how plants defend themselves against diseases and potentially develop better ways to protect crops from harmful pathogens.

Kong L., Ma X., Zhang C., Kim SI., Li B., Xie Y., Yeo IC., Thapa H., Chen S., Devarenne TP., Munnik T., He P., Shan L. Dual phosphorylation of DGK5-mediated PA burst regulates ROS in plant immunity. Cell. 2024 Feb 1;187(3):609-623.e21. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.030. Epub 2024 Jan 19.