Plant disease resistance (R) genes trigger innate immune responses upon pathogen attack. RAR1 is an early convergence point in a signaling pathway engaged by multiple R genes. Here, we show that RAR1 interacts with plant orthologs of the yeast protein SGT1, an essential regulator in the cell cycle. Silencing the barley gene Sgt1 reveals its role in R gene-triggered, Rar1-dependent disease resistance. SGT1 associates with SKP1 and CUL1, subunits of the SCF (Skp1-Cullin-F-box) ubiquitin ligase complex. Furthermore, the RAR1-SGT1 complex also interacts with two COP9 signalosome components. The interactions among RAR1, SGT1, SCF, and signalosome subunits indicate a link between disease resistance and ubiquitination.

ORCID IDs: 0000-0002-7823-5489 (D.L.); 0000-0002-4512-9508 (P.J.); 0000-0002-1025-9484 (H.J.J.); 0000-0001-9022-4515 (G.S.)Diphosphorylated inositol polyphosphates, also referred to as inositol pyrophosphates, are important signaling molecules that regulate critical cellular activities in many eukaryotic organisms, such as membrane trafficking, telomere maintenance, ribosome biogenesis, and apoptosis. In mammals and fungi, two distinct classes of inositol phosphate kinases mediate biosynthesis of inositol pyrophosphates: Kcs1/IP6K-and Vip1/PPIP5K-like proteins. Here, we report that PPIP5K homologs are widely distributed in plants and that Arabidopsis thaliana VIH1 and VIH2 are functional PPIP5K enzymes. We show a specific induction of inositol pyrophosphate InsP 8 by jasmonate and demonstrate that steady state and jasmonate-induced pools of InsP 8 in Arabidopsis seedlings depend on VIH2. We identify a role of VIH2 in regulating jasmonate perception and plant defenses against herbivorous insects and necrotrophic fungi. In silico docking experiments and radioligand binding-based reconstitution assays show highaffinity binding of inositol pyrophosphates to the F-box protein COI1-JAZ jasmonate coreceptor complex and suggest that coincidence detection of jasmonate and InsP 8 by COI1-JAZ is a critical component in jasmonate-regulated defenses.