Extended JAZ degron sequence for plant hormone binding in jasmonate co-receptor of tomato SlCOI1-SlJAZ

(+)-7-iso-jasmonoyl-L-isoleucine (JA-Ile) is a lipid-derived phytohormone implicated in plant development, reproduction, and defense in response to pathogens and herbivorous insects. All these effects are instigated by the perception of JA-Ile by the COI1-JAZ co-receptor in the plant body, which in Arabidopsis thaliana, is profoundly influenced by the short JAZ degron sequence (V/L)P(Q/I)AR(R/K) of the JAZ protein. Here, we report that SlJAZ-SlCOI1, the COI1-JAZ co-receptor found in the tomato plant, relies on the extended JAZ degron sequence (V/L)P(Q/I)AR(R/K)XSLX instead of the canonical JAZ degron. This finding illuminates our understanding of the mechanism of JA-Ile perception in this plant, and will inform the genetic modification of the SlCOI1-SlJAZ co-receptor to improve JA-Ile perception and the development of the synthetic agonists / antagonists.