The role of NDR1 in pathogen perception and plant defense signaling

The biochemical and cellular function of NDR1 in plant immunity and defense signaling has long remained elusive. Herein, we describe a novel role for NDR1 in both pathogen perception and plant defense signaling, elucidated by exploring a broader, physiological role for NDR1 in general stress responses and cell wall adhesion. Based on our predictive homology modeling, coupled with a structure-function approach, we found that NDR1 shares a striking similarity to mammalian integrins, well-characterized for their role in mediating the interaction between the extracellular matrix and stress signaling. ndr1-1 mutant plants exhibit higher electrolyte leakage following pathogen infection, compared to wild type Col-0. In addition, we observed an altered plasmolysis phenotype, supporting a role for NDR1 in maintaining cell wall-plasma membrane adhesions through mediating fluid loss under stress.