Tobacco TTG2 suppresses resistance to pathogens by sequestering NPR1 from the nucleus

Abstract

TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA (TTG) proteins that contain the WD40 protein interaction domain are implicated in many signalling pathways in plants. The salicylic acid (SA) signalling pathway regulates the resistance of plants to pathogens through defence responses involving pathogenesis-related (PR) gene transcription, activated by the NPR1 (nonexpresser of PR genes 1) protein, which contains WD40-binding domains. We report that tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) NtTTG2 suppresses the resistance to viral and bacterial pathogens by repressing the nuclear localisation of NPR1 and SA/NPR1-regulated defence in plants. Prevention of NtTTG2 protein production by silencing of the NtTTG2 gene resulted in the enhancement of resistance and PR gene expression, but NtTTG2 overexpression or NtTTG2 protein overproduction caused the opposite effects. Concurrent NtTTG2 and NPR1 gene silencing or NtTTG2 silencing in the absence of SA accumulation compensated for the compromised defence as a result of the NPR1 single-gene silencing or the absence of SA. However, NtTTG2 did not interact with NPR1 but was able to modulate the subcellular localisation of the NPR1 protein. In the absence of NtTTG2 production NPR1 was found predominantly in the nucleus and the PR genes were expressed. By contrast, when NtTTG2 accumulated in transgenic plants, a large proportion of NPR1 was retained in the cytoplasm and the PR genes were not expressed. These results suggest that NtTTG2 represses SA/NPR1-regulated defence by sequestering NPR1 from the nucleus and the transcriptional activation of the defence-response genes.