In plants, defense-associated signal transduction involves key membrane-related processes, such as phospholipid-based signaling and membrane trafficking. Coordination of these processes occurs in the lipid bilayer of plasma membrane (PM) and luminal/extracellular membranes. Deciphering the spatiotemporal organization of phospholipids and lipid-protein interactions provides crucial information on the mechanisms that link phospholipid-based signaling and membrane trafficking in plant immunity. In this review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of these connections, including deployment of key enzymes and molecules in phospholipid pathways, and roles of lipid diversity in membrane trafficking. We highlight the mechanisms that mediate feedback between phospholipid-based signaling and membrane trafficking to regulate plant immunity, including their novel roles in balancing endocytosis and exocytosis.
Phospholipid-Based Signaling and Membrane Trafficking: A Dynamic and Complex LinkagePhospholipids are components of the membrane bilayer and function in signal transduction [1]. Phospholipid-based signaling (see Glossary) involves the activation of phospholipases (PLs) and lipid kinases, the production of lipid signals, and the binding to downstream targets via lipid-protein interactions [2]. Based on its biochemical and regulatory properties, each PL or lipid kinase heads a specific phospholipid-based signaling pathway. These pathways alter cellular and physiological processes, including membrane deformation, membrane trafficking events, endomembrane organization, and cytoskeletal rearrangement [3][4][5].Plant have evolved a sophisticated immune system that perceives and fights pathogenic microbes [6]. Membrane trafficking has an essential role in this fight by delivering defenserelated proteins to the plasma membrane (PM) or other endomembrane compartments [7]. During membrane trafficking, the rearrangement of lipid composition at the PM and endomembrane system occurs continuously, which may serve as a platform for protein sorting and trafficking machineries, defining the fate of vesicles or proteins inside the cell [8]. As the bilayer-forming structural components of membranes, phospholipids and their associated signaling transduction have important roles in this rearrangement [9]. In this review, we discuss recent advances in understanding the regulatory mechanisms of phospholipid-based signal transduction in membrane trafficking, including the spatiotemporal distribution of lipid signals, membrane deformation, cytoskeletal dynamics, and recruitment of trafficking regulators. We highlight the roles of phospholipidderived regulators in endocytosis, exocytosis, and in the exocytosis-endocytosis balance. We also discuss how phospholipids and their derivatives participate in the coordination of signal transduction and membrane trafficking to regulate plant immunity.