American Association for the Advancement of Science, Science, 5562(295), p. 2073-2076, 2002
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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.