The Arabidopsis thaliana papain-like cysteine protease RD21 interacts with a root-knot nematode effector protein

The root-knot nematodeMeloidogyne chitwoodisecretes effector proteins into the cells of host plants to manipulate plant-derived processes in order to achieve successful parasitism. Mc1194 is aM. chitwoodieffector that is highly expressed in pre-parasitic second-stage juvenile nematodes. Yeast two-hybrid assays revealed Mc1194 specifically interacts with a papain-like cysteine protease (PLCP), RD21A inArabidopsis thaliana. Mc1194 interacts with both the protease and granulin domains of RD21A. PLCPs are targeted by effectors secreted by bacterial, fungal and oomycete pathogens and the hypersusceptibility ofrd21-1mutants toM. chitwoodiindicates RD21A plays a role in plant-parasitic nematode infection.