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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.06.01.657260

Diversification of the "EDVID" packing motif underpins structural and functional variation in plant NLR coiled-coil domains

Sulkowski, O.·Ovodova, A.·Leisse, A.·Gögelein, K.·Förderer, A.
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Abstract

O_LINucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs) are critical in plant immunity and display remarkable allelic diversity. Coiled-coiled NLRs (CC-NLRs) are the most widespread group of these receptors found across flowering and non-flowering plants. C_LIO_LIHere we investigate the sequence conservation and functional variation of the conserved EDVID motif found in the 3-helix of the cell death inducing CC domain of plant NLRs. We analyse our findings in context of published protein structures and structure prediction. C_LIO_LIWe find that the conserved EDVID motif can serve as a predictor of canonical CC-NLR function and oligomeric assembly. C_LIO_LIWe also find that the EDVID motif is accompanied by preceding acidic residues in certain CC-NLRs with homology to the Arabidopsis CC-NLR RPP8. The appearance of this so-called preEDVID motif across the phylogeny of flowering plants and its contribution to the CC-NLR function underpins the structural diversity across NLRs with EDVID motif. C_LIO_LIWe further show that CC-NLRs exist that have lost the EDVID motif sequence and function suggesting that this subgroup, previously referred to as CCG10-NLRs, functions in a different manner from the canonical mechanism. C_LIO_LIWe find that acidic residues located to the 3-helix of the helper NLR NRG1.1 are linked to NRG1.1 cell death inducing activity. C_LI

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Sulkowski, O., Ovodova, A., Leisse, A., Gögelein, K., Förderer, A.. 2025-06-03. Diversification of the "EDVID" packing motif underpins structural and functional variation in plant NLR coiled-coil domains. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.01.657260

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