Ligand-induced endocytosis of the pattern recognition receptor FLS2 in <i>Arabidopsis</i>

TLDR

Pattern‑recognition receptors trigger innate immunity in animals and plants, with the flagellin receptor FLS2 in Arabidopsis serving as a key example. The study proposes that plant cells regulate PAMP‑mediated PRR activities through subcellular compartmentalization. A functional FLS2‑GFP fusion localizes to cell membranes, but flg22 stimulation drives its internalization into mobile vesicles and degradation, a process requiring cytoskeleton, proteasome, and receptor activation, and a Thr867 mutation impairs flg22 binding, downstream responses, and endocytosis.

Abstract

Pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) trigger innate immune responses in animals and plants. One such PRR is the flagellin receptor FLS2 in Arabidopsis. Here, we demonstrate that a functional fusion of FLS2 to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) resides in cell membranes of most tissues. Stimulation with the flagellin epitope flg22 induces its transfer into intracellular mobile vesicles, followed by degradation. FLS2 internalization depends on cytoskeleton and proteasome functions, and receptor activation. A variant FLS2 mutated in Thr 867, a potential phosphorylation site, binds flg22 normally, but is impaired in flg22 responses and FLS2 endocytosis. We propose that plant cells regulate pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-mediated PRR activities by subcellular compartmentalization.