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IGP receptors act as redox sensors to mediate broad-spectrum disease resistance induced by cellooligomers
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IGP receptors act as redox sensors to mediate broad-spectrum disease resistance induced by cellooligomers

Guangzheng Sun, Pei Wei, Jingjing Dai +17 more
October 2025
 ·
bioRxiv
 ·
DOI 
10.1101/2025.10.05.680433
94
%
Reproducible
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It ranks in the top 1% of preprints assessed in Plant Biology this quarter.
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Why this is interesting

Overturning the assumption that extracellular immune receptors are insensitive to redox state, this paper shows IGP1 integrates cellooligomer perception and hydrogen peroxide sensing into one receptor, establishing a new paradigm for feedback-regulated plant immunity.

QED claims analysis

Summary

The LRR-Malectin receptor kinase IGP1 recognizes cellooligomers with degree of polymerization ≥3 through a conserved aromatic triad in its LRR domain rather than the malectin domain, while a pair of cysteines in the malectin domain functions as a redox sensor that undergoes hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidation to sterically attenuate ligand binding and immune signaling, establishing an evolutionarily conserved mechanism across land plants that confers broad-spectrum disease resistance in multiple crop species.

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Main Claim 1 –

Malectin CC redox sensor oxidation reduces ligand binding and immunity

Supporting evidence

  • IGP1 CC redox motif conserved in land plants post-terrestrialization
  • CC oxidation-mimic mutants fail to complement CEL4 immunity
Main Claim 2 –

IGP1 LRR groove binds cellooligomers DP≥3, not malectin

Supporting evidence

  • IGP orthologs conserve binding architecture with lineage-specific LRR variation
Main Claim 3 –

WYW aromatic triad stabilizes pyranose rings for cellooligomer binding

Supporting evidence

  • WYW motif mutagenesis abolishes cellooligomer binding and immune signaling
Main Claim 4 –

IGP–cellooligomer signaling confers broad-spectrum resistance across crops

Supporting evidence

  • Wheat TaIGP1 locus associates with Fusarium crown rot and rust resistance
  • Soybean GmIGPs required for cellooligomer immunity and Phytophthora resistance

Abstract

Cys-oxidation is a well-established post-translational regulator of intracellular protein function, yet its role in extracellular receptor-mediated signaling remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the LRR-Malectin receptor-like kinase IGP1, a key receptor for plant cell wall damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). We demonstrate that IGP1 directly recognizes cellooligomers with a degree of polymerization ≥ 3 via a conserved binding groove in its LRR domain, not the malectin domain as anticipated. Strikingly, a pair of cysteines within the malectin domain functions as a redox sensor, undergoing hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidation that sterically reduces ligand binding affinity and attenuates immune signaling. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that IGP originated after the terrestrialization of plants, and is an evolutionarily conserved redox sensor in land plants. Functional studies in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and soybean (Glycine max) confirm that the IGP-cellooligomer module confers broad-spectrum disease resistance. Our work uncovers a unique mechanism where ligand perception and redox sensing are integrated into a single receptor to regulate DAMP-triggered immunity.

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