LORE receptor homomerization is required for 3‐hydroxydecanoic acid‐induced immune signaling and determines the natural variation of immunosensitivity within the Arabidopsis genus

Summary The S‐domain‐type receptor‐like kinase (SD‐RLK) LIPOOLIGOSACCHARIDE‐SPECIFIC REDUCED ELICITATION (LORE) from Arabidopsis thaliana is a pattern recognition receptor that senses medium‐chain 3‐hydroxy fatty acids, such as 3‐hydroxydecanoic acid (3‐OH‐C10:0), to activate pattern‐triggered immunity. Here, we show that LORE homomerization is required to activate 3‐OH‐C10:0‐induced immune signaling. Fluorescence lifetime imaging in Nicotiana benthamiana demonstrates that At LORE homomerizes via the extracellular and transmembrane domains. Co‐expression of At LORE truncations lacking the intracellular domain exerts a dominant negative effect on At LORE signaling in both N. benthamiana and A. thaliana , highlighting that homomerization is essential for signaling. Screening for 3‐OH‐C10:0‐induced reactive oxygen species production revealed natural variation within the Arabidopsis genus. Arabidopsis lyrata and Arabidopsis halleri do not respond to 3‐OH‐C10:0, although both possess a putative LORE ortholog. Both LORE orthologs have defective extracellular domains that bind 3‐OH‐C10:0 to a similar level as At LORE, but lack the ability to homomerize. Thus, ligand binding is independent of LORE homomerization. Analysis of At LORE and Alyr LORE chimera suggests that the loss of Alyr LORE homomerization is caused by several amino acid polymorphisms across the extracellular domain. Our findings shed light on the activation mechanism of LORE and the loss of 3‐OH‐C10:0 perception within the Arabidopsis genus.