Abstract
Calcium (Ca2+) signaling in plant cells is an essential and early event during plant-microbe interactions. The recognition of microbe-derived molecules activates Ca2+ channels or Ca2+ pumps that trigger a transient increase in Ca2+ in the cytoplasm. The Ca2+ binding proteins (such as CBL, CPK, CaM, and CML), known as Ca2+ sensors, relay the Ca2+ signal into down-stream signaling events, e.g., activating transcription factors in the nucleus. For example, CaM and CML decode the Ca2+ signals to the CaM/CML-binding protein, especially CaM-binding transcription factors (AtSRs/CAMTAs), to induce the expressions of immune-related genes. In this review, we discuss the recent breakthroughs in down-stream Ca2+ signaling as a dynamic process, subjected to continuous variation and gradual change. AtSR1/CAMTA3 is a CaM-mediated transcription factor that represses plant immunity in non-stressful environments. Stress-triggered Ca2+ spikes impact the Ca2+-CaM-AtSR1 complex to control plant immune response. We also discuss other regulatory mechanisms in which Ca2+ signaling activates CPKs and MAPKs cascades followed by regulating the function of AtSR1 by changing its stability, phosphorylation status, and subcellular localization during plant defense.
Introduction—Calcium Signaling Cascades Control Plant Defense Responses
Plant immune systems rely on multiple layers of recognition systems to confer full protection to pathogen attack. For example, pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) on cell surfaces recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) or damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), each of which is derived from pathogenic microbes or damaged plants themselves (; ). This leads to PRR-mediated immunity, or so-called pattern-triggered immunity or PTI (; ). Pathogens secrete virulence determinants referred to as effectors to inhibit PTI or other plant physiological responses. However, some effectors are recognized by intracellular nucleotide-binding domains and leucine-rich repeat proteins (NLRs), which result in NLR-mediated immunity, or so-called effector-triggered immunity or ETI (). Notably, cellular responses during both PTI and ETI involve dynamic changes in cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations (; , ). Changes in cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations are sensed by the Ca2+-signaling toolkit () e.g., Ca2+ sensors and/or decoders [calmodulin (CaM), CaM-like proteins (CML), “calcineurin B-like protein” (CBL)-“CBL-interacting protein kinases” (CBL-CIPK), and calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs or CDPKs)], which, together with mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) activation, coordinate the transcriptional reprogramming of defense genes through activation of various transcript factors (TFs) (Figure 1).
FIGURE 1
The dynamic changes in cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations are an early event during immune responses, where the Ca2+ channels and Ca2+ pumps are activated to form specific Ca2+ signatures to each stimulus (; ). For example, cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel 2 (CNGC2) forms a heteromeric cation channel with CNGC4 playing an important role in the flg22-induced rise of Ca2+ in plant cells. In this event, PRR-activated receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases (RLCKs), e.g., botrytis-induced kinase 1 (BIK1), activate the Ca2+ channel through the phosphorylation of CNGC4, but not CNGC2. In addition, BIK1 also phosphorylates CaM7 that, in turn, binds to the IQ motif in CNGC2 and CNGC4 to suppress the activity of the heteromeric Ca2+ channel (), which could be a desensitization mechanism to regulate the immune response. The application of H2O2 induces Ca2+ influx, where the hydrogen peroxide-induced Ca2+ increase 1 (HPCA1), which functions as an extracellular H2O2 receptor and is required for H2O2-induced Ca2+ rise (Figure 1). Recently, the NLR receptor hopz-activated resistance 1 (ZAR1) resistome was revealed to form a Ca2+-permeable channel to trigger the programmed cell death (PCD) (; ). Another study revealed that the active NLR, N requirement gene 1 (NRG1), also forms puncta in the plasma membrane, which is a non-selective cation channel leading to permeability for Mg2+ and Ca2+, but not Cl– (). These channels based on ZAR1 or NRG1 likely cause a strong, prolonged Ca2+ signature as a Ca2+ burst, which plays a central role during ETI-mediated PCD (). Most studies on Ca2+ channels focus on the plasma membrane-localized channels, since Ca2+ channel blocker, La3+ or Gd3+, can suppress the NLRs-forming Ca2+ channels. It is not clear how the organelle membrane localized Ca2+ channels are involved in plant immune response. Currently, there are many unanswered questions, for example, how Ca2+ burst induces PCD and other ETI. Ca2+/CaM-binding transcription factors (CAMTAs) or Arabidopsis thaliana signal responsives (AtSRs) could be a sensor of the Ca2+ burst () as described in the Section 2 below.
AtSR1/CAMTA3 is a transcriptional regulator in response to biotic stress-induced Ca2+ changes, and plays a suppressor role in the plant immune system () since atsr1/camta3 mutants show an autoimmune phenotype, including elevated salicylic acid (SA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentrations, and enhanced resistance to bacterial and fungal pathogens (; ). AtSR1/CAMTA3 requires CaM binding for its activation, suggesting a role for Ca2+ in repressing its function in plant immunity. However, accumulating evidence suggests that AtSR1/CAMTA3 functions as more than a negative regulator in the plant immune system. In this review, we summarize the recent progress related to studies on AtSRs/CAMTAs during plant defense responses that could help in our understanding of their unique roles in the plant immune system.
AtSR1/CAMTA3 Is a Central Signaling Component in Plant Immune Responses
CaM-Mediated Regulation of AtSR1/CAMTA3
AtSR1/CAMTA3 is known as a Ca2+/CaM-regulated transcription factor involved in transcriptional reprogramming during plant immune response. AtSR1 binds to the CGCG cis-regulatory element in the promoter of enhanced disease susceptibility 1 (EDS1), non-race-specific disease resistance1 (NDR1), and non-expresser of PR genes1 (NPR1) to modulate their expression in SA-mediated plant immunity (,). AtSR1 also regulates isochorismate synthase 1 (ICS1) to suppress plant immunity at both 20oC and 28oC (). AtSR1 contributes to systemic acquired resistance (SAR) through the regulation of NDR1 expression (). A recent study revealed that AtSR1 is required to establish a proper plant immune response to basal resistance or ETI-triggered PCD, also known as hypersensitive response (HR) cell death (; Figure 2).
FIGURE 2
The AtSRs family contains different types of CaM-binding domains (CaMBDs). CaM binding to AtSR1 is essential for the function of AtSR1 (
Recently, AtSRs were also reported to negatively regulate the pipecolic acid (Pip)-mediated plant immune response (
A recent study revealed that AtSR1/CAMTA3 is more than a transcriptional repressor in the plant immune response (Figure 3). For example, AtSR1 was found to mediate DAMP-induced signaling, whereas AtPep1-induced reprograming of JA-responsive genes requires functional AtSR1 (
FIGURE 3

AtSRs/CAMTAs play the role of a hub in plant immune response. AtSRs are the suppressor of plant immunity and repress defense-related gene expressions through the interaction with the “CGCG” box in their promoter. Pathogen infection induces Ca2+ influx as described in Figure 1, which impacts the Ca2+-CaM-AtSRs complex and subsequently removes the suppressor of AtSRs in SA-based plant immunity to induce the defense-related gene expression (e.g., EDS1, and NPR1, etc.). However, effector proteins derived from the bacterial pathogens (e.g., Pst carrying AvrRpt2 or AvrRps4) modify AtSRs, which is sensed by NLRs, e.g., DSC1 and DSC2, followed by inducing ETI-based plant defense response. In addition, the rise of cytoplasmic Ca2+ activates MPKs and CPKs, which phosphorylate AtSRs, resulting in the export of AtSRs from the nucleus and eventually the degradation of AtSRs. In contrast, AtSRs act as transcriptional activators for plant immune response by reprograming the transcription of JA- and eATP-responsive genes. In addition, CaM-AtSRs interaction is targeted by viral effectors, e.g., V2 derived from the geminivirus CLCuMuV, which regulates RNAi-mediated immune response against viral infection. In other respects, AtSRs also play an important role in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses, which are not discussed in this review.
Phosphorylation-Based Regulation of AtSR1/CAMTA3
Facing pathogen challenge, it is necessary for the activation and establishment of plant immune response to overcome the suppressor of AtSR1 (
Controlling the subcellular localization is another way to sequester the negative function of AtSR1 in plant immunity. AtSR1 contains two nuclear localization sequences (NLSs) (
AtSR1/CAMTA3 as a Guardee
RIN4 is a well-studied guarded effector target, or so-called “guardee.” However, there are more potential guardees. For example, EXO70B1, a subunit of the exocyst complex, can be a guardee that can activate ETI via the truncated NLR TN2, where CPK5 is required for this TN-mediated immunity (
Mediator-Associated Regulation of AtSR1/CAMTA3
In eukaryotic cells, RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is required for most transcriptions of general protein-coding genes and several non-coding RNA (ncRNAs) genes (
AtSR1 as Positive Regulator of Plant Growth and Development
Facing pathogen infection, a plant reduces the resource and energy for growth and development, and switches to activate and establish plant immune response to restrict the invading pathogen (
Conclusion and Future Perspectives
In recent years, a great deal of progress has been made in understanding Ca2+ channels and the associated down-stream signaling. However, there are still several key questions which remain to be addressed. Although many Ca2+ sensors have been identified that regulate plant immune response, the role of CMLs is still unclear and remains to be studied. In addition, the pathogen-triggered modifications (such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination) of AtSR1 suppresses its negative function in plant immunity, however, the molecular mechanism of recovery of AtSR1 after successful prevention of pathogen infection needs to be addressed. There are several major questions: (1) The role of AtSR1 in plant growth remains unclear (
Since the focus of this special issue is on signaling in plant biotic interactions, it is appropriate to point out that Ca2+/CaM-mediated signaling plays a unique role in both pathogenic (e.g., AtSR1 discussed above) and symbiotic interactions [Ca2 +/CaM-dependent protein kinase (CCaMK)] in plants. It is well recognized that CCaMK, a Ca2+/CaM-binding protein (
Publisher’s Note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Statements
Author contributions
PY, KT, and BP were involved in writing this review. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.
Funding
This work was supported by National Science Foundation grants (1021344 and 1557813 to BP and 1557813 to KT) as well as USDA NIFA (Hatch project no. 1015621 to KT and BP).
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to appreciate the help of Lorie Mochel in preparing this review.
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
AtSR1/CAMTA3, Ca2+ signaling, CaMs/CMLs, CBL-CIPK, CPKs, MAPKs, plant immune response
Citation
Yuan P, Tanaka K and Poovaiah BW (2022) Calcium/Calmodulin-Mediated Defense Signaling: What Is Looming on the Horizon for AtSR1/CAMTA3-Mediated Signaling in Plant Immunity. Front. Plant Sci. 12:795353. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.795353
Received
14 October 2021
Accepted
15 December 2021
Published
11 January 2022
Volume
12 - 2021
Edited by
Keiko Yoshioka, University of Toronto, Canada
Reviewed by
Justin Lee, Leibniz-Institut für Pflanzenbiochemie (IPB), Germany; Sung Un Huh, Kunsan National University, South Korea
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© 2022 Yuan, Tanaka and Poovaiah.
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*Correspondence: B. W. Poovaiah, poovaiah@wsu.edu
This article was submitted to Plant Pathogen Interactions, a section of the journal Frontiers in Plant Science
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.