High pAMPK expression levels are associated with increased survival in patients with NSCLC, especially those with ADC. Our results support further evaluation of AMP-activated protein kinase as a potential prognostic and therapeutic target for lung cancer.

Hypersensitive response (HR) is a robust immune response mediated by plant nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat receptor (NLR). However, the early molecular event linking NLR to cell death is obscure. Here we demonstrate that NLR targets plasma membrane H+-ATPases (PMA) generating electrochemical potential across the membrane. CCA309, an autoactive N-terminal domain of pepper coiled-coil NLR (CNL), associates with PMAs and its autoactivity is affected by silencing or overexpression of PMA. CCA309-induced extracellular alkalization accompanied with membrane depolarization is followed by calcium influx and cell death. CCA309 interacts with C-terminal regulatory domain of PMA and 14-3-3 negatively affects CCA309-induced cell death. Moreover, pharmacological experiments with fusicoccin, an irreversible PMA activator, confirmed that CC- and CNL-mediated cell death occurred through inhibiting PMA. We propose PMAs as the primary target of plasma membrane-associated CNL to disrupt electrochemical homeostasis leading to HR cell death.

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