AUTHOR=Izbiańska Karolina , Floryszak-Wieczorek Jolanta , Gajewska Joanna , Meller Barbara , Kuźnicki Daniel , Arasimowicz-Jelonek Magdalena TITLE=RNA and mRNA Nitration as a Novel Metabolic Link in Potato Immune Response to Phytophthora infestans JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science VOLUME=9 YEAR=2018 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2018.00672 DOI=10.3389/fpls.2018.00672 ISSN=1664-462X ABSTRACT=

Peroxynitrite (ONOO-) exhibits a well-documented nitration activity in relation to proteins and lipids; however, the interaction of ONOO- with nucleic acids remains unknown in plants. The study uncovers RNA and mRNA nitration as an integral event in plant metabolism intensified during immune response. Using potato-avr/vr Phytophthora infestans systems and immunoassays we documented that potato immunity is accompanied by two waves of boosted ONOO- formation affecting guanine nucleotides embedded in RNA/mRNA and protein tyrosine residues. The early ONOO- generation was orchestrated with an elevated level of protein nitration and a huge accumulation of 8-nitroguanine (8-NO2-G) in RNA and mRNA pools confirmed as a biomarker of nucleic acid nitration. Importantly, potato cells lacking ONOO- due to scavenger treatment and attacked by the avr pathogen exhibited a low level of 8-NO2-G in the mRNA pool correlated with reduced symptoms of programmed cell death (PCD). The second burst of ONOO- coincided both with an enhanced level of tyrosine-nitrated proteins identified as subtilisine-like proteases and diminished protease activity in cells surrounding the PCD zone. Nitration of both RNA/mRNA and proteins via NO/ONOO- may constitute a new metabolic switch in redox regulation of PCD, potentially limiting its range in potato immunity to avr P. infestans.