TIR domains of plant immune receptors are 2′,3′-cAMP/cGMP synthetases mediating cell death

2′,3′-cAMP is a positional isomer of the well-established second messenger 3′,5′-cAMP, but little is known about the biology of this noncanonical cyclic nucleotide monophosphate (cNMP). Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domains of nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) immune receptors have the NADase function necessary but insufficient to activate plant immune responses. Here, we show that plant TIR proteins, besides being NADases, act as 2′,3′-cAMP/cGMP synthetases by hydrolyzing RNA/DNA. Structural data show that a TIR domain adopts distinct oligomers with mutually exclusive NADase and synthetase activity. Mutations specifically disrupting the synthetase activity abrogate TIR-mediated cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana (Nb), supporting an important role for these cNMPs in TIR signaling. Furthermore, the Arabidopsis negative regulator of TIR-NLR signaling, NUDT7, displays 2′,3′-cAMP/cGMP but not 3′,5′-cAMP/cGMP phosphodiesterase activity and suppresses cell death activity of TIRs in Nb. Our study identifies a family of 2′,3′-cAMP/cGMP synthetases and establishes a critical role for them in plant immune responses. [Display omitted] •Plant TIR proteins act as 2′,3′-cAMP/cGMP synthetases by hydrolyzing dsRNA/dsDNA•Cryo-EM structure reveals the mechanism of plant TIRs as bifunctional enzymes•2′,3′-cAMP/cGMP are required for TIR-mediated cell death in plants•2′,3′-cAMP/cGMP PDE negatively regulate TIR-mediated cell death in plants Plant TIR domain-containing proteins are bifunctional enzymes with NADase and cyclic nucleotide monophosphate synthetase activity. Combinations of these activities may cooperate to control cell death and immune signaling processes in plants.