Abstract
Rationally engineered improvements to crop plants will be needed to keep pace with increasing demands placed on agricultural systems by population growth and climate change. Engineering of plant immune systems provides an opportunity to increase yields by limiting losses to pathogens. Intracellular immune receptors are commonly used as agricultural disease resistance traits. Despite their importance, how intracellular immune receptors confer disease resistance is still unknown. One major class of immune receptors in dicots contains a Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor (TIR) domain. The mechanisms of TIR-containing proteins during plant immunity have remained elusive. The TIR domain is an ancient module found in archaeal, bacterial and eukaryotic proteins. In animals, TIR domains serve a structural role by generating innate immune signaling complexes. The unusual animal TIR-protein, SARM1, was recently discovered to function instead as an enzyme that depletes cellular NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) to trigger axonal cell death. Two recent reports have found that plant TIR proteins also have the ability to cleave NAD+. This presents a new paradigm from which to consider how plant TIR immune receptors function. Here, we will review recent reports of the structure and function of TIR-domain containing proteins. Intriguingly, it appears that TIR proteins in all kingdoms may use similar enzymatic mechanisms in a variety of cell death and immune pathways. We will also discuss TIR structure–function hypotheses in light of the recent publication of the ZAR1 resistosome structure. Finally, we will explore the evolutionary context of plant TIR-containing proteins and their downstream signaling components across phylogenies and the functional implications of these findings.
The Plant Immune System
Single and multicellular organisms have evolved numerous defenses to ward off biotic challenges. The plant innate immune system consists of receptor proteins that monitor both extracellular and intracellular pathogen-related signals to activate defenses (Figure 1). Typically, extracellular signals are transduced across the plasma membrane by an extensive array of receptor-like kinase (RLK) and receptor-like proteins (RLPs) (; ). Disease resistance conferred by the RLK/RLP pattern recognition receptor (PRR) system is triggered by a wide array of apoplastic molecules from microbes, pathogens and host damage signals. Accordingly, pathogens have evolved to extensively target PRR pathways to promote host susceptibility. A common strategy of plant pathogens is to deliver intracellular virulence proteins (such as type III effector proteins) in order to disrupt PRR-based defense (; ). These virulence proteins are necessary for pathogenicity, and thus serve as reliable indicators of pathogen presence. In response to pathogen immunosuppression, plants have evolved a second layer of innate immune receptors that directly or indirectly recognize the presence of pathogen virulence proteins (; ). As such, virulence proteins are the tools that pathogens use to suppress the host immune system, but also the signals that plants of the correct genotype (i.e., resistant plants) can recognize to reinitiate a defense response. These intracellular receptors are characterized by nucleotide-binding site (NBS) domains and a C-terminal Leucine-rich repeat (LRR). This combination of domains is present in both plant and animal NLR proteins (confusingly referring to both “NBS-LRR” and “Nod-like receptors (Nod: N-terminal oligomerization domain).” While plant and animal NLR proteins are functionally conserved in many ways, it appears that they are the product of convergent evolution ().
FIGURE 1
The recognition of intracellular pathogen virulence molecules promotes conformational changes in NLR proteins (). The N-terminal domain of NLR proteins has signaling activities, while the C-terminal NBS-LRR domains negatively regulate signaling in the resting state. The NBS domain functions as a molecular switch depending on the bound nucleotide: ADP-bound in the resting state and ATP-bound in the active state (). Both plant and animal NLRs are auto-regulated and self-associate during signal transduction, however, the N-terminal signaling domains of plant and animal NLRs are distinct (; ; ). Generally, plant NLRs contain N-terminal TIR (Toll/Interleukin Receptor-1) or CC (coiled coil) domains, and are therefore known as TNLs or CNLs (). Monocot genomes appear to lack TNL loci, however, both monocots and dicots can encode TIR-only and TIR-NBS proteins (; ; ; ; ). TIR and CC-domains from plant NLRs are sufficient to activate immune outputs, including a localized cell death termed the hypersensitive response (HR), and transcriptional defense programs (; ). The self-association and oligomerization of either TIR or CC-domains is required for plant immune signaling, however, the downstream events which follow the activation of TIR or CC resistance proteins has remained unclear (; ; ).
Downstream Components of TIR-Signaling Pathways in Plants
Genetic screens have identified two families of proteins that appear universally required for plant TIR phenotypes (Figure 2). The first component is the EDS1 (Enhanced Disease Susceptibility 1) family of lipase-like proteins [EDS1, SAG101 (Senescence-Associated Gene 101), and PAD4 (Phytoalexin Deficient 4)] (; ). The second component, the RPW8 class of ‘helper’ CNLs, often referred to as ‘RNLs,’ functions downstream of the EDS1 family (; ; ; ). Helper NLRs such as the NRG1 (N-requirement Gene 1) and the ADR1 family (Activated Disease Resistance 1) are candidates for being the ultimate output of TIR pathways (; ; ). How these downstream components are activated by TIR oligomerization, and the organization of the overall pathway, remains a major unanswered question (; ; ).
FIGURE 2
EDS1 forms exclusive heterodimers with either PAD4 or SAG101 to relay TIR-immune signals (
The expression of the RPW8-domains of ADR1 or NRG1 is sufficient to trigger HR, even in eds1 null backgrounds, placing ‘helper’ RNLs as downstream mediators of TIR-signaling (
The mechanisms of how plant NLRs activate downstream immunity is an active area of research. While TIR–TIR interactions are well known to promote animal immune signaling via scaffold function, a new paradigm of plant TIR function has recently emerged: signal competent plant TIR-domains are NAD+-(nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide)-hydrolyzing enzymes (Figures 3A–D) (
FIGURE 3

Model of TIR-domain scaffolding (animals) and TIR-NADase activity (plants and animals). (A) Canonical TIR-scaffold function in animals: TIR-TIR interactions promote signal complex formation and innate immune signal transduction. (B) Top: animal TIR NADases (e.g., SARM1) assemble into high order complexes, and hydrolyze NAD(P)+ substrate and alter NAD(P)+ pools. Bottom: assembly of plant TIR-domains into hypothetical NADase complex (resistosome-like?) and generation of immunomodulatory signals. (C) Numerous TIR-domain configurations are present in animal, plant, and bacterial proteins. Plant TIR-domains are often found in modular NBS-LRRs, TIR-NBS, TIR-X or TIR-only proteins. -X corresponds to atypical or undefined domains. The animal SARM1 TIR is located at the C-terminus; the SARM1 SAM-domains promote oligomerization. (D) Known products of TIR NADases; plant TIRs produce variant cyclic-ADPR (v-cADPR), whose structure is currently unknown.
TIR-Domains: a Cellular Defense Module Found in All Domains of Life
Toll/Interleukin Receptor-1 (TIR)-domain containing proteins are found in all domains of life – Eukarya, Bacteria, and Archaea (Figures 4A,B) (
FIGURE 4

TIR NADases were recently reported in animals and prokaryotes. (A) Diverse eukaryotic organisms, including invertebrates (e.g., C. elegans, D. melanogaster) and vertebrates, utilize TIR-domain containing proteins in cellular innate immunity. Non-enzymatic TIR-domain containing proteins in animals promote signal complex formation via TIR – TIR interactions. The SARM1 NADase TIR from animals functions in axon degeneration, and is reported to function in immunity in C. elegans (
Insights to Plant TIR Function From Animal Systems: SARM1 (Sterile Alpha and TIR Motif-Containing 1) Is an NADase
Typically, animal TIRs (e.g., Toll-like receptors, MyD88) couple pathogen detection to defense gene activation by nucleating the formation of large multimeric signaling complexes (Figure 3A) (
The animal TIR protein SARM1 functions in axon degeneration, an active process of programmed cell death in response to injury (classically known as “Wallerian degeneration”) (
Like NLRs, SARM1 is a multidomain TIR protein that is auto-inhibited. SARM1 has two tandem sterile alpha (SAM) domains, which enable oligomerization, and an N-terminal Armadillo domain, which is required for auto-inhibition (Figures 3B,C) (
NAD+-hydrolysis by SARM1 generates ADPR (ADP-ribose), cyclic ADPR (c-ADPR) and NAM (nicotinamide) (
A recent crystal structure of the SARM1 TIR reveals conservation with both plant and prokaryotic TIR-domains (
FIGURE 5

Structures of individual animal and plant TIR-domain NADases, and the higher order SARM1 SAM octamer. (A) Crystal structure of the SARM1-TIR domain (PDB ID: 6O0Q) with ribose (shown green) positioned near putative catalytic glutamate residue (E642), colored orange. (B) Crystal structure of tandem SAM domains of the animal TIR-NADase, SARM1 (PDB ID: 6O0S). The SARM1 SAM domains adopt a closed octameric ring conformation. C-terminal end of SAM tipped with red (arrow shown for one unit). (C) Close-up view of SARM1 TIR active site, as in (A). Arrows indicate ribose and putative catalytic E642 (ribose ∼2.6Å from E642). (D) Close-up of active site of the TIR-domain from plant TNL, RUN1 (PDB ID: 6O0W). A bis-Tris molecule (dark blue) positioned near putative catalytic glutamate (E100, orange) precludes access of NADP+-substrate (aqua); bis-Tris ∼3 Å from E100.
Strikingly, SARM1 triggers cell death when transiently expressed in the leaves of the plant, Nicotiana benthamiana (
TIR NADases in Prokaryotes: Phage Immune Systems and Virulence Factors
Numerous bacterial and archaeal species encode TIR-domain containing proteins, primarily of unknown function (
Like the SARM1 TIR NADase, all examined prokaryotic TIRs also require the putative catalytic glutamate for NADase function (
Recent studies from the Sorek lab may provide a glimpse into the origins of TIR-mediated immunity (Figure 4B) (
FIGURE 6

Structural modeling of ThsB (Thoeris TIR) from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (Ba). (A) Center: Phyre2 modeling of BaThsB TIR-domain to the SARM1-TIR structure. Phyre2 model confidence: 96.2%; BaThsB-TIR amino acid identity to SARM1-TIR: 15%. Left: Alignment of SARM1-TIR (PDB ID: 6O0Q) to BaThsB-TIR. Right: Alignment of RPS4-TIR structure (PDB ID: 4C6R) to BaThsB-TIR (and to SARM1-TIR). (B) Phyre2 modeling of full length BaThsB to a putative signal transduction protein from Agathobacter rectales (a putative Thoeris system ThsB TIR). Phyre2 model confidence: 100%; BaThsB amino acid identity to Agathobacter ThsB match: 59%.
The Sorek group further reported that some prokaryote genomes harbor an ortholog of the cGAS-STING defense system found in animals (
TIR NADase Activity in Plants
Similar to animal SARM1, plant TIRs were recently demonstrated to be NAD+ hydrolases, and this NADase activity is required to relay immune signals (
Like SARM1 of animals, the NADase activity of plant TIRs was required for TIR-domain function; i.e., to relay immune signals (
A crystal structure of the plant TIR-domain, RUN1, with bound NADP+ substrate was determined by
Plant TIR-Domain Self-Association Is Necessary for NADase Activity
Plant TIR-TIR self-association occurs through at least two known interfaces formed by pairs of alpha helices (denoted as ‘α’) (
Similar to cell death and disease resistance phenotypes, the activation of plant TIR NADase function requires both AE and DE self-association interfaces (
FIGURE 7

Crystal structure of RPP1 plant TIR-domains showing TIR-TIR interfaces. Three of four RPP1 TIR-domain units shown (PDB ID: 5TEB). The AE (SH 108-109) and DE interfaces (G 229) are shown purple and red, respectively, while putative catalytic glutamate E164 shown orange. Connecting loop above putative catalytic glutamate is colored green. Potential loop interactions between putative ionic pairs of adjacent RPP1 monomers (residues E128 – K234, and R129 – E238) shown with dashed yellow lines. Distances between putative ionic pairs measured using Pymol: E128 to K234 (8.0 Å) and R129 to E238 (4.8 Å).
Oligomeric Plant “Resistosomes”
The N-terminal coiled coil (CC) domain of some CC-domain type NLRs (e.g., Sr71, NRG1, MLA) can induce HR (
Can the pentameric structure of the ZAR1 resistosome – a CC-domain type NLR - inform what higher order complexes an activated TNL might form? It is enticing to speculate that, like ZAR1 and animal NLRs, an oligomeric TNL NADase complex also forms a ring-shaped resistosome? A variety of stoichiometries are observed for the animal NLR oligomers that form the apoptosome and inflammosome rings (Zhang et al., 2015). The hypothetical TNL resistosome could be of a range of stoichiometries, and most likely forms a ring. However, given the existing structures of plant TIR domains, it seems difficult to reconcile the radial (head to tail) symmetry of a ring-shaped resistosome, no matter the stoichiometry. In these structures, the AE and DE interfaces are in a “head to head” orientation that seems at odds with a circular chain. Perhaps an increase in local concentration of TIR domains is sufficient to promote signaling. Or possibly, these interfaces will not be seen in the context of a full-length TNL oligomer structure. Fusion of the SARM1 SAM domains to either the N-terminus (
Using Phyre2, we modeled the NBS-LRR domains of RPS4 onto the structures of inactive and active ZAR1 NBS-LRRs (Figure 8). The NBS and N-terminal linker regions of RPS4, as compared with ZAR1, are similar in length and potentially in orientation (Figure 8). While entirely speculative, there would appear to be limits on the amount of rotational flexibility the TIR domains would have in a hypothetical resistosome to engage in simultaneous AE and DE interfaces. The oligomerization state of so-called “paired NLRs” – where individual partners typically assume a ‘sensor’ or ‘signal’ role – may be even more complex. Given that RPS4 and RRS1 appear to function in a complex (
FIGURE 8

Modeling of the RPS4 NBS-LRR (a TNL) to the NBS-LRR of ZAR1 resistosome (ATP-bound) or ZAR1 monomer (ADP-bound). (A) Left: ADP-bound ZAR1 monomer structure as determined by
Plant TIR-only proteins can signal despite their lack of C-terminal NBS-LRR domains (
How Might Plant TIR-NADases Transmit Immune Signals?
NAD+ is a major cellular metabolite, redox carrier, and substrate for numerous processes including DNA repair, epigenetic modifications, immunity and signaling (
Unlike SARM1, plant TIRs did not generate c-ADPR, but instead produced v-cADPR, both in vitro and after transient expression in N. benthamiana (
The v-cADPR molecule appears to uniquely identify plant TIR-driven ETI, as MLA10 expression and RPM1 activation (both CNLs) did not elevate v-cADPR (
At this point v-cADPR can be considered a biomarker for plant TIR activity, as its production is correlated with TIR function, however, it is not clear if it is either necessary or sufficient to trigger cell death or disease resistance. In vitro assays indicate that the TIR-only proteins RBA1 and BdTIR are also capable of cleaving NADP+ (
Because NAD+ levels influence numerous cellular processes, the consumption of NAD+ by plant TIRs during immunity could impact myriad cellular responses. For instance, extracellular NAD+ (eNAD+) is a potent immunostimulatory signal and reducing NAD+ levels compromises disease resistance; conversely, eNAD+ application can bolster immunity (Zhang and Mou, 2012;
TIR-Proteins Across Plant Phylogenies
TIR-domain encoding genes can be found in almost all plant lineages. However, the class and abundance of encoded TIR-proteins can vary widely between species (
While TNLs are absent from monocots (and several dicot lineages), they are present broadly across the plant phylogeny, including bryophytes and conifers (see also Figure 2C) (
(More) Unanswered Questions?
TIR-domains encoded by species from all domains of life are now known to play roles in immunity. Recent studies now suggest a new paradigm of TIR-mediated immunity in plants: the oligomerization and self-association of TIR-domains, and subsequent hydrolysis of NAD+ (Zhang et al., 2017;
If plant TIRs generate immunomodulatory signals from the hydrolysis of NAD(P)+, then what is that signal? For instance, might variant-cADPR per se be sufficient to activate transcriptional defenses, or the hypersensitivity response? Or might different TIR-derived signal molecules communicate different outputs? Additionally, plant TIR-NADases could potentially regulate NAD+ levels and cellular metabolism apart from immune signal generation. Do TIR-domains from all plant lineages generate the same type(s) of signals, and how has evolution shaped the components which sense and translate outputs from these signals? The subcellular localization and expression of both signal generating TIRs, and downstream signal receivers could influence potential response outcomes.
TIR-based immunity appears to have an ancient role in prokaryotes as an anti-viral defense system (
Combined biochemical and evolutionary approaches may provide guidance into how variation in the TIR active site or TIR association interfaces could affect immune outputs. In the future, such findings may be able to offer predictions regarding the kinetic properties of specific TIR-domains, as well as a likely profile of NAD+-derived products. For instance, might modulating NAD+-hydrolysis kinetics and/or product profile influence the type or strength of immune output? Can in vitro evolution enable ‘tweaking’ of TIR-active sites, or of TIR-TIR self-association interfaces, and thus alter the profile of products derived from NAD+-hydrolysis?
The recognition that TIR domains across the tree of life have conserved enzymatic functions has opened new avenues of investigation into the plant immune system. While much remains undiscovered, the field is poised to describe fully connected NLR signaling pathways that lead to immune outputs. This synthesis will enable rational engineering of plant immunity to help address the increasing demands on our agricultural systems.
Statements
Author contributions
AB and MN wrote the manuscript. Both authors approved the manuscript.
Funding
This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (IOS-1758400) and startup funds from Colorado State University to MN.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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Summary
Keywords
Toll/interleukin-1 receptor, TIR, NLR, NADase, innate immunity
Citation
Bayless AM and Nishimura MT (2020) Enzymatic Functions for Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor Domain Proteins in the Plant Immune System. Front. Genet. 11:539. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00539
Received
16 February 2020
Accepted
04 May 2020
Published
02 June 2020
Volume
11 - 2020
Edited by
Takaki Maekawa, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Germany
Reviewed by
Brian Staskawicz, University of California, Berkeley, United States; Xin Li, The University of British Columbia, Canada
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© 2020 Bayless and Nishimura.
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*Correspondence: Marc T. Nishimura, marcusn@colostate.edu
This article was submitted to Evolutionary and Population Genetics, a section of the journal Frontiers in Genetics
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