Genetius

The study identified twenty survival of SA-induced death (ssd) mutants that are defective in starch, glucose, nitrate metabolism, and circadian regulation, leading to excessive carbohydrate accumulation and susceptibility to salicylic acid (SA)-induced death in prolonged darkness. Glucose application rescues SA‑treated plants by antagonizing oxidative stress and restoring metabolic balance, as revealed by transcriptomic analyses that link SA‑induced cell death to effector‑triggered immunity pathways.

The study identifies a conserved hydrophobic core within the coiled‑coil (CC) domain of helper NLRs (NRCs) that is essential for NRC4-mediated cell death and immunity. Structural and functional analyses show that this core regulates subcellular localization, oligomerization, and phospholipid association of NRC4, highlighting a novel mechanistic feature of NLR function.