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Chen Y, Zhang J. Multiple functions and regulatory networks of WRKY33 and its orthologs. Gene 2024; 931:148899. [PMID: 39209179 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 08/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Arabidopsis thaliana WRKY33 is currently one of the most studied members of the Group I WRKY transcription factor family. Research has confirmed that WRKY33 is involved in the regulation of various biological and abiotic stresses and occupies a central position in the regulatory network. The functional studies of orthologous genes of WRKY33 from other species are also receiving increasing attention. In this article, we summarized thirty-eight orthologous genes of AtWKRY33 from twenty-five different species. Their phylogenetic relationship and conserved WRKY domain were analyzed and compared. Similar to AtWKRY33, the well-studied orthologous gene members from rice and tomato also have multiple functions. In addition to playing important regulatory roles in responding to their specific pathogens, they are also involved in regulating various abiotic stresses and development. AtWKRY33 exerts its multiple functions through a complex regulatory network. Upstream transcription factors or other regulatory factors activate or inhibit the expression of AtWKRY33 at the chromatin and transcriptional levels. Interacting proteins affect the transcriptional activity of AtWKRY33 through phosphorylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation, competition, or cooperation. The downstream genes are diverse and include three major categories: transcription factors, synthesis, metabolism, and signal transduction of various hormones, and disease resistance genes. In the regulatory network of AtWRKY33 orthologs, many conserved regulatory characteristics have been discovered, such as self-activation and phosphorylation by MAP kinases. This can provide a comparative reference for further studying the functions of other orthologous genes of AtWKRY33.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhong Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China; Key Laboratory of Landscape Plant Genetics and Breeding, Nantong, China.
| | - Jian Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China; Key Laboratory of Landscape Plant Genetics and Breeding, Nantong, China
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2
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Domes HS, Debener T. Genome-Wide Analysis of the WRKY Transcription Factor Family in Roses and Their Putative Role in Defence Signalling in the Rose-Blackspot Interaction. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1066. [PMID: 38674474 PMCID: PMC11054901 DOI: 10.3390/plants13081066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
WRKY transcription factors are important players in plant regulatory networks, where they control and integrate various physiological processes and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, we analysed six rose genomes of 5 different species (Rosa chinensis, R. multiflora, R. roxburghii, R. sterilis, and R. rugosa) and extracted a set of 68 putative WRKY genes, extending a previously published set of 58 WRKY sequences based on the R. chinensis genome. Analysis of the promoter regions revealed numerous motifs related to induction by abiotic and, in some cases, biotic stressors. Transcriptomic data from leaves of two rose genotypes inoculated with the hemibiotrophic rose black spot fungus Diplocarpon rosae revealed the upregulation of 18 and downregulation of 9 of these WRKY genes after contact with the fungus. Notably, the resistant genotype exhibited the regulation of 25 of these genes (16 upregulated and 9 downregulated), while the susceptible genotype exhibited the regulation of 20 genes (15 upregulated and 5 downregulated). A detailed RT-qPCR analysis of RcWRKY37, an orthologue of AtWRKY75 and FaWRKY1, revealed induction patterns similar to those of the pathogenesis-related (PR) genes induced in salicylic acid (SA)-dependent defence pathways in black spot inoculation experiments. However, the overexpression of RcWRKY37 in rose petals did not induce the expression of any of the PR genes upon contact with black spot. However, wounding significantly induced the expression of RcWRKY37, while heat, cold, or drought did not have a significant effect. This study provides the first evidence for the role of RcWRKY37 in rose signalling cascades and highlights the differences between RcWRKY37 and AtWRKY75. These results improve our understanding of the regulatory function of WRKY transcription factors in plant responses to stress factors. Additionally, they provide foundational data for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Sophia Domes
- Department of Molecular Plant Breeding, Institute for Plant Genetics, Leibniz Universität Hannover, 30419 Hannover, Germany
- Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for National and International Plant Health, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Thomas Debener
- Department of Molecular Plant Breeding, Institute for Plant Genetics, Leibniz Universität Hannover, 30419 Hannover, Germany
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Mahiwal S, Pahuja S, Pandey GK. Review: Structural-functional relationship of WRKY transcription factors: Unfolding the role of WRKY in plants. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 257:128769. [PMID: 38096937 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
WRKY as the name suggests, are the transcription factors (TFs) that contain the signature WRKY domains, hence named after it. Since their discovery in 1994, they have been well studied in plants with exploration of approximately 74 WRKY genes in the model plant, Arabidopsis alone. However, the study of these transcription factors (TFs) is not just limited to model plant now. They have been studied widely in crop plants as well, because of their tremendous contribution in stress as well as in growth and development. Here, in this review, we describe the story of WRKY TFs from their identification to their origin, the binding mechanisms, structure and their contribution in regulating plant development and stress physiology. High throughput transcriptomics-based data also opened a doorway to understand the comprehensive and detailed functioning of WRKY TFs in plants. Indeed, the detailed functional role of each and every WRKY member in regulating the gene expression is required to pave the path to develop holistic understanding of their role in stress physiology and developmental processes in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Mahiwal
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi 110021, India
| | - Sonam Pahuja
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi 110021, India
| | - Girdhar K Pandey
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi 110021, India.
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Ma F, Zhou H, Yang H, Huang D, Xing W, Wu B, Li H, Hu W, Song S, Xu Y. WRKY transcription factors in passion fruit analysis reveals key PeWRKYs involved in abiotic stress and flavonoid biosynthesis. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 256:128063. [PMID: 37963507 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
WRKY transcription factors (TFs) are a superfamily of regulators involved in plant responses to pathogens and abiotic stress. Passion fruit is famous for its unique flavor and nutrient-rich juice, but its growth is limited by environmental factors and pathogens. In this study, 55 WRKY genes were identified from the Passiflora edulis genome. The structure and evolutionary characteristics of PeWRKYs were analyzed using a bioinformatics approach. PeWRKYs were classified into seven subgroups (I, IIa, IIb, IIc, IId, IIe, III) according to their homologs in Arabidopsis thaliana. Group IIa PeWRKY48 gene was highly up-regulated under cold stress by RNA expression analysis, and transgenic PeWRKY48 in yeast and Arabidopsis showed resistance exposure to cold, salt, and drought stress. Metabolome and transcriptome co-expression analysis of two different disease resistance genotypes of P. edulis identified PeWRKY30 as a key TF co-expressed with flavonoid accumulation in yellow fruit P. edulis, which may contribute to biotic or abiotic resistance. The qRT-PCR verified the expression of key genes in different tissues of P. edulis and in different species of Passiflora. This study provides a set of WRKY candidate genes that will facilitate the genetic improvement of disease and abiotic tolerance in passion fruit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Funing Ma
- Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute, CATAS, Key Laboratory of Tropical Crops Germplasm Resources Genetic Improvement and Innovation of Hainan Province, National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Germplasm Repository of Passiflora, Haikou 571101, China; Hainan Key Laboratory for Biosafety Monitoring and Molecular Breeding in Off-Season Reproduction Regions, Sanya Research Institute, CATAS, Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Hongwu Zhou
- Yunnan Agricultural University, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Huiting Yang
- Yunnan Agricultural University, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Dongmei Huang
- Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute, CATAS, Key Laboratory of Tropical Crops Germplasm Resources Genetic Improvement and Innovation of Hainan Province, National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Germplasm Repository of Passiflora, Haikou 571101, China; Hainan Key Laboratory for Biosafety Monitoring and Molecular Breeding in Off-Season Reproduction Regions, Sanya Research Institute, CATAS, Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Wenting Xing
- Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute, CATAS, Key Laboratory of Tropical Crops Germplasm Resources Genetic Improvement and Innovation of Hainan Province, National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Germplasm Repository of Passiflora, Haikou 571101, China; Hainan Key Laboratory for Biosafety Monitoring and Molecular Breeding in Off-Season Reproduction Regions, Sanya Research Institute, CATAS, Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Bin Wu
- Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute, CATAS, Key Laboratory of Tropical Crops Germplasm Resources Genetic Improvement and Innovation of Hainan Province, National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Germplasm Repository of Passiflora, Haikou 571101, China; Hainan Key Laboratory for Biosafety Monitoring and Molecular Breeding in Off-Season Reproduction Regions, Sanya Research Institute, CATAS, Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Hongli Li
- Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute, CATAS, Key Laboratory of Tropical Crops Germplasm Resources Genetic Improvement and Innovation of Hainan Province, National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Germplasm Repository of Passiflora, Haikou 571101, China; Hainan Key Laboratory for Biosafety Monitoring and Molecular Breeding in Off-Season Reproduction Regions, Sanya Research Institute, CATAS, Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Wenbin Hu
- Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute, CATAS, Key Laboratory of Tropical Crops Germplasm Resources Genetic Improvement and Innovation of Hainan Province, National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Germplasm Repository of Passiflora, Haikou 571101, China; Hainan Key Laboratory for Biosafety Monitoring and Molecular Breeding in Off-Season Reproduction Regions, Sanya Research Institute, CATAS, Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Shun Song
- Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute, CATAS, Key Laboratory of Tropical Crops Germplasm Resources Genetic Improvement and Innovation of Hainan Province, National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Germplasm Repository of Passiflora, Haikou 571101, China; Hainan Key Laboratory for Biosafety Monitoring and Molecular Breeding in Off-Season Reproduction Regions, Sanya Research Institute, CATAS, Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China.
| | - Yi Xu
- Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute, CATAS, Key Laboratory of Tropical Crops Germplasm Resources Genetic Improvement and Innovation of Hainan Province, National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Germplasm Repository of Passiflora, Haikou 571101, China; Hainan Key Laboratory for Biosafety Monitoring and Molecular Breeding in Off-Season Reproduction Regions, Sanya Research Institute, CATAS, Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China.
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Zhang J, Zhao H, Chen L, Lin J, Wang Z, Pan J, Yang F, Ni X, Wang Y, Wang Y, Li R, Pi E, Wang S. Multifaceted roles of WRKY transcription factors in abiotic stress and flavonoid biosynthesis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1303667. [PMID: 38169626 PMCID: PMC10758500 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1303667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Increasing biotic and abiotic stresses are seriously impeding the growth and yield of staple crops and threatening global food security. As one of the largest classes of regulators in vascular plants, WRKY transcription factors play critical roles governing flavonoid biosynthesis during stress responses. By binding major W-box cis-elements (TGACCA/T) in target promoters, WRKYs modulate diverse signaling pathways. In this review, we optimized existing WRKY phylogenetic trees by incorporating additional plant species with WRKY proteins implicated in stress tolerance and flavonoid regulation. Based on the improved frameworks and documented results, we aim to deduce unifying themes of distinct WRKY subfamilies governing specific stress responses and flavonoid metabolism. These analyses will generate experimentally testable hypotheses regarding the putative functions of uncharacterized WRKY homologs in tuning flavonoid accumulation to enhance stress resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Erxu Pi
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shang Wang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
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Saha B, Nayak J, Srivastava R, Samal S, Kumar D, Chanwala J, Dey N, Giri MK. Unraveling the involvement of WRKY TFs in regulating plant disease defense signaling. PLANTA 2023; 259:7. [PMID: 38012461 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04269-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION This review article explores the intricate role, regulation, and signaling mechanisms of WRKY TFs in response to biotic stress, particularly emphasizing their pivotal role in the trophism of plant-pathogen interactions. Transcription factors (TFs) play a vital role in governing both plant defense and development by controlling the expression of various downstream target genes. Early studies have shown the differential expression of certain WRKY transcription factors by microbial infections. Several transcriptome-wide studies later demonstrated that diverse sets of WRKYs are significantly activated in the early stages of viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. Furthermore, functional investigations indicated that overexpression or silencing of certain WRKY genes in plants can drastically alter disease symptoms as well as pathogen multiplication rates. Hence the new aspects of pathogen-triggered WRKY TFs mediated regulation of plant defense can be explored. The already recognized roles of WRKYs include transcriptional regulation of defense-related genes, modulation of hormonal signaling, and participation in signal transduction pathways. Some WRKYs have been shown to directly bind to pathogen effectors, acting as decoys or resistance proteins. Notably, the signaling molecules like salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene which are associated with plant defense significantly increase the expression of several WRKYs. Moreover, induction of WRKY genes or heightened WRKY activities is also observed during ISR triggered by the beneficial microbes which protect the plants from subsequent pathogen infection. To understand the contribution of WRKY TFs towards disease resistance and their exact metabolic functions in infected plants, further studies are required. This review article explores the intrinsic transcriptional regulation, signaling mechanisms, and hormonal crosstalk governed by WRKY TFs in plant disease defense response, particularly emphasizing their specific role against different biotrophic, hemibiotrophic, and necrotrophic pathogen infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baisista Saha
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751024, India
| | - Jagatjeet Nayak
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751024, India
| | - Richa Srivastava
- Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, UP, India
| | - Swarnmala Samal
- Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, UP, India
| | - Deepak Kumar
- Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, UP, India
| | - Jeky Chanwala
- Institute of Life Sciences, NALCO Nagar Road, NALCO Square, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India
| | - Nrisingha Dey
- Institute of Life Sciences, NALCO Nagar Road, NALCO Square, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751023, India
| | - Mrunmay Kumar Giri
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751024, India.
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Backer R, Naidoo S, van den Berg N. The expression of the NPR1-dependent defense response pathway genes in Persea americana (Mill.) following infection with Phytophthora cinnamomi. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 23:548. [PMID: 37936068 PMCID: PMC10631175 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04541-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
A plant's defense against pathogens involves an extensive set of phytohormone regulated defense signaling pathways. The salicylic acid (SA)-signaling pathway is one of the most well-studied in plant defense. The bulk of SA-related defense gene expression and the subsequent establishment of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is dependent on the nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1 (NPR1). Therefore, understanding the NPR1 pathway and all its associations has the potential to provide valuable insights into defense against pathogens. The causal agent of Phytophthora root rot (PRR), Phytophthora cinnamomi, is of particular importance to the avocado (Persea americana) industry, which encounters considerable economic losses on account of this pathogen each year. Furthermore, P. cinnamomi is a hemibiotrophic pathogen, suggesting that the SA-signaling pathway plays an essential role in the initial defense response. Therefore, the NPR1 pathway which regulates downstream SA-induced gene expression would be instrumental in defense against P. cinnamomi. Thus, we identified 92 NPR1 pathway-associated orthologs from the P. americana West Indian pure accession genome and interrogated their expression following P. cinnamomi inoculation, using RNA-sequencing data. In total, 64 and 51 NPR1 pathway-associated genes were temporally regulated in the partially resistant (Dusa®) and susceptible (R0.12) P. americana rootstocks, respectively. Furthermore, 42 NPR1 pathway-associated genes were differentially regulated when comparing Dusa® to R0.12. Although this study suggests that SAR was established successfully in both rootstocks, the evidence presented indicated that Dusa® suppressed SA-signaling more effectively following the induction of SAR. Additionally, contrary to Dusa®, data from R0.12 suggested a substantial lack of SA- and NPR1-related defense gene expression during some of the earliest time-points following P. cinnamomi inoculation. This study represents the most comprehensive investigation of the SA-induced, NPR1-dependent pathway in P. americana to date. Lastly, this work provides novel insights into the likely mechanisms governing P. cinnamomi resistance in P. americana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Backer
- Hans Merensky Chair in Avocado Research, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Sanushka Naidoo
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Noëlani van den Berg
- Hans Merensky Chair in Avocado Research, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
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Fang S, Zhang C, Qiu S, Xiao Y, Chen K, Lv Z, Chen W. SbWRKY75- and SbWRKY41-mediated jasmonic acid signaling regulates baicalin biosynthesis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1213662. [PMID: 37416887 PMCID: PMC10320291 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1213662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant with broad pharmacological activities whose main active ingredient is the flavonoid baicalin. Given its medicinal value and increasing market demand, it is essential to improve the plant's baicalin content. Flavonoid biosynthesis is regulated by several phytohormones, primarily jasmonic acid (JA). Methods In this study, we conducted transcriptome deep sequencing analysis of S. baicalensis roots treated with methyl jasmonate for different durations (1, 3, or 7 hours). Leveraging weighted gene co-expression network analysis and transcriptome data, we identified candidate transcription factor genes involved in the regulation of baicalin biosynthesis. To validate the regulatory interactions, we performed functional assays such as yeast one-hybrid, electrophoretic mobility shift, and dual-luciferase assays. Results Our findings demonstrated that SbWRKY75 directly regulates the expression of the flavonoid biosynthetic gene SbCLL-7, whereas SbWRKY41 directly regulates the expression of two other flavonoid biosynthetic genes, SbF6H and SbUGT, thus regulating baicalin biosynthesis. We also obtained transgenic S.baicalensis plants by somatic embryo induction and determined that overexpressing SbWRKY75 increased baicalin content by 14%, while RNAi reduced it by 22%. Notably, SbWRKY41 indirectly regulated baicalin biosynthesis by modulating the expression of SbMYC2.1, SbJAZ3 and SbWRKY75. Discussion This study provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying JA-mediated baicalin biosynthesis in S. baicalensis. Our results highlight the specific roles of transcription factors, namely SbWRKY75 and SbWRKY41, in the regulation of key biosynthetic genes. Understanding these regulatory mechanisms holds significant potential for developing targeted strategies to enhance baicalin content in S. baicalensis through genetic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyuan Fang
- The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM) Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Chinese Materia Madica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM) Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Chinese Materia Madica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi Qiu
- The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM) Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Xiao
- The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM) Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Kaixian Chen
- Institute of Chinese Materia Madica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zongyou Lv
- The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM) Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wansheng Chen
- The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM) Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
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Guan K, Yang Z, Zhan M, Zheng M, You J, Meng X, Li H, Gao J. Two Sweet Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L.) WRKY Transcription Factors Promote Aluminum Tolerance via the Reduction in Callose Deposition. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10288. [PMID: 37373435 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a primary limiting factor for crop production in acidic soils. The WRKY transcription factors play important roles in regulating plant growth and stress resistance. In this study, we identified and characterized two WRKY transcription factors, SbWRKY22 and SbWRKY65, in sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.). Al induced the transcription of SbWRKY22 and SbWRKY65 in the root apices of sweet sorghum. These two WRKY proteins were localized in the nucleus and exhibited transcriptional activity. SbWRKY22 showed the significant transcriptional regulation of SbMATE, SbGlu1, SbSTAR1, SbSTAR2a, and SbSTAR2b, which are major known Al tolerance genes in sorghum. Interestingly, SbWRKY65 had almost no effect on the aforementioned genes, but it significantly regulated the transcription of SbWRKY22. Therefore, it is speculated that SbWRKY65 might indirectly regulate Al-tolerance genes mediated by SbWRKY22. The heterologous expression of SbWRKY22 and SbWRKY65 greatly improved the Al tolerance of transgenic plants. The enhanced Al tolerance phenotype of transgenic plants is associated with reduced callose deposition in their roots. These findings suggest the existence of SbWRKY22- and SbWRKY65-mediated Al tolerance regulation pathways in sweet sorghum. This study extends our understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms of WRKY transcription factors in response to Al toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexing Guan
- Jilin Province Engineering Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
| | - Zhenming Yang
- Jilin Province Engineering Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
| | - Meiqi Zhan
- Jilin Province Engineering Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
| | - Meihui Zheng
- Jilin Province Engineering Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
| | - Jiangfeng You
- Jilin Province Engineering Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
| | - Xiangxiang Meng
- Jilin Province Engineering Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
| | - He Li
- Jilin Province Engineering Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
| | - Jie Gao
- Jilin Province Engineering Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
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Zheng L, Liu Q, Wu R, Zhu M, Dorjee T, Zhou Y, Gao F. The alteration of proteins and metabolites in leaf apoplast and the related gene expression associated with the adaptation of Ammopiptanthus mongolicus to winter freezing stress. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 240:124479. [PMID: 37072058 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, an evergreen broad-leaved plant, can tolerate severe freezing stress (temperatures as low as -20 °C in winter). The apoplast is the space outside the plasma membrane that plays an important role in plant responses to environmental stress. Here, we investigated, using a multi-omics approach, the dynamic alterations in the levels of proteins and metabolites in the apoplast and related gene expression changes involved in the adaptation of A. mongolicus to winter freezing stress. Of the 962 proteins identified in the apoplast, the abundance of several PR proteins, including PR3 and PR5, increased significantly in winter, which may contribute to winter freezing-stress tolerance by functioning as antifreeze proteins. The increased abundance of the cell-wall polysaccharides and cell wall-modifying proteins, including PMEI, XTH32, and EXLA1, may enhance the mechanical properties of the cell wall in A. mongolicus. Accumulation of flavonoids and free amino acids in the apoplast may be beneficial for ROS scavenging and the maintenance of osmotic homeostasis. Integrated analyses revealed gene expression changes associated with alterations in the levels of apoplast proteins and metabolites. Our study improved the current understanding of the roles of apoplast proteins and metabolites in plant adaptation to winter freezing stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lamei Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Metabolomics, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Qi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Metabolomics, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Rongqi Wu
- Key Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Metabolomics, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ming Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Metabolomics, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Tashi Dorjee
- Key Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Metabolomics, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yijun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Metabolomics, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Fei Gao
- Key Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Metabolomics, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China.
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11
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Wang H, Cheng X, Yin D, Chen D, Luo C, Liu H, Huang C. Advances in the Research on Plant WRKY Transcription Factors Responsive to External Stresses. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:2861-2880. [PMID: 37185711 PMCID: PMC10136515 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45040187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The WRKY transcription factors are a class of transcriptional regulators that are ubiquitous in plants, wherein they play key roles in various physiological activities, including responses to stress. Specifically, WRKY transcription factors mediate plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses through the binding of their conserved domain to the W-box element of the target gene promoter and the subsequent activation or inhibition of transcription (self-regulation or cross-regulation). In this review, the progress in the research on the regulatory effects of WRKY transcription factors on plant responses to external stresses is summarized, with a particular focus on the structural characteristics, classifications, biological functions, effects on plant secondary metabolism, regulatory networks, and other aspects of WRKY transcription factors. Future research and prospects in this field are also proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongli Wang
- College of Ecology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China
| | - Xi Cheng
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Functional Floriculture, Institute of Grassland, Flowers and Ecology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Dongmei Yin
- College of Ecology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China
| | - Dongliang Chen
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Functional Floriculture, Institute of Grassland, Flowers and Ecology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Chang Luo
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Functional Floriculture, Institute of Grassland, Flowers and Ecology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Hua Liu
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Functional Floriculture, Institute of Grassland, Flowers and Ecology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Conglin Huang
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Functional Floriculture, Institute of Grassland, Flowers and Ecology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
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12
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Kajla M, Roy A, Singh IK, Singh A. Regulation of the regulators: Transcription factors controlling biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites during biotic stresses and their regulation by miRNAs. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1126567. [PMID: 36938003 PMCID: PMC10017880 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1126567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Biotic stresses threaten to destabilize global food security and cause major losses to crop yield worldwide. In response to pest and pathogen attacks, plants trigger many adaptive cellular, morphological, physiological, and metabolic changes. One of the crucial stress-induced adaptive responses is the synthesis and accumulation of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs). PSMs mitigate the adverse effects of stress by maintaining the normal physiological and metabolic functioning of the plants, thereby providing stress tolerance. This differential production of PSMs is tightly orchestrated by master regulatory elements, Transcription factors (TFs) express differentially or undergo transcriptional and translational modifications during stress conditions and influence the production of PSMs. Amongst others, microRNAs, a class of small, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally, also play a vital role in controlling the expression of many such TFs. The present review summarizes the role of stress-inducible TFs in synthesizing and accumulating secondary metabolites and also highlights how miRNAs fine-tune the differential expression of various stress-responsive transcription factors during biotic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohini Kajla
- Department of Botany, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Amit Roy
- Excellent Team for Mitigation (ETM), Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Indrakant K. Singh
- Department of Zoology, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Archana Singh
- Department of Botany, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- Jagdish Chandra Bose Center for Plant Genomics, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- Delhi School of Climate Change and Sustainability, Institution of Eminence, Maharishi Karnad Bhawan, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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13
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Huang H, Zhao W, Qiao H, Li C, Sun L, Yang R, Ma X, Ma J, Song S, Wang S. SlWRKY45 interacts with jasmonate-ZIM domain proteins to negatively regulate defense against the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita in tomato. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2022; 9:uhac197. [PMID: 36338841 PMCID: PMC9630973 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic root-knot nematodes (RKNs) cause a severe reduction in crop yield and seriously threaten agricultural production. The phytohormones jasmonates (JAs) are important signals regulating resistance to multiple biotic and abiotic stresses. However, the molecular mechanism for JAs-regulated defense against RKNs in tomato remains largely unclear. In this study, we found that the transcription factor SlWRKY45 interacted with most JA-ZIM domain family proteins (JAZs), key repressors of the JA signaling. After infection by the RKN Meloidogyne incognita, the slwrky45 mutants exhibited lower gall numbers and egg numbers per gram of roots than wild type, whereas overexpression of SlWRKY45 attenuated resistance to Meloidogyne incognita. Under M. incognita infection, the contents of jasmonic acid (JA) and JA-isoleucine (JA-Ile) in roots were repressed by SlWRKY45-overexpression. Furthermore, SlWRKY45 bound to and inhibited the promoter of the JA biosynthesis gene ALLENE OXIDE CYCLASE (AOC), and repressed its expression. Overall, our findings revealed that the SlJAZ-interaction protein SlWRKY45 attenuated RKN-regulated JA biosynthesis and repressed defense against the RKN M. incognita in tomato.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hui Qiao
- Plant Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Chonghua Li
- Plant Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Lulu Sun
- Plant Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, 102206, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Agricultural Application and New Technique, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Agricultural Application and New Technique, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Xuechun Ma
- Plant Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Jilin Ma
- Plant Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, 102206, China
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14
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Role of PsnWRKY70 in Regulatory Network Response to Infection with Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissl in Populus. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147537. [PMID: 35886886 PMCID: PMC9324512 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
WRKY is an important complex family of transcription factors involved in plant immune responses. Among them, WRKY70 plays an important role in the process of the plant defense response to the invasion of pathogens. However, the defense mechanism of PsnWRKY70 is not clear in Populus nigra. In this study, we showed that PsnWRKY70-overexpression lines (OE) had fewer leaf blight symptoms than PsnWRKY70-repressing lines (RE). PsnWRKY70 activated MAP kinase cascade genes (PsnM2K4, PsnMPK3, PsnM3K18), calcium channel proteins-related genes (PsnCNG3, PsnCNGC1, PsnCNG4), and calcium-dependent protein kinases genes (PsnCDPKL, PsnCDPKW, PsnCDPKS, PsnCDPKQ). Furthermore, 129 genes of PsnWRKY70 putative genome-wide direct targets (DTGs) were identified by using transcriptome (RNA-seq) and DNA affinity purification sequencing (DAP-seq). PsnWRKY70 directly binds to the promoters of homologous genes and LRR domain proteins to promote the expression of WRKY6, WRKY18, WRKY22, and WRKY22–1, LRR domain proteins LRR8, LRR-RLK, ADR1-like 2, NB-ARC, etc. Our study suggests that PsnWRKY70 enhances the resistance of A. alternata in poplar by activating genes in both pathogen-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI).
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Genome-wide analysis of pathogenesis-related protein 1 (PR-1) gene family from Musa spp. and its role in defense response during stresses. Gene X 2022; 821:146334. [PMID: 35181501 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenesis related protein-1 (PR-1) is the most abundantly produced protein during defense response against many biotic and abiotic stresses. However, knowledge on PR-1 gene family and its evolutionary relationship in banana is very limited. In order to study the potential role of PR-1 genes in banana, genome wide identification, structure analysis and expressions were performed. A total of 15 and 11 PR-1 genes were identified from A and B genomes of banana and the proteins encoded by this gene family are of varying lengths and harbor conserved domains and motifs. PR-1 genes are unevenly dispersed on 11 chromosomes with segmental duplication in both A and B genome, suggesting an important contribution of duplication in expansion of PR-1 gene family in banana. qRT-PCR analysis of PR-1 gene showed positive correlation with the RNAseq data under various stresses and examination of expression pattern of selected MaPR-1 genes in banana revealed its role in biotic and abiotic stresses in general and fusarium wilt in particular. This study provides significant insight into the functions of PR-1 genes which can be further exploited as a promising candidate for developing multiple stress tolerant banana varieties.
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Ayoub Khan M, Dongru K, Yifei W, Ying W, Penghui A, Zicheng W. Characterization of WRKY Gene Family in Whole-Genome and Exploration of Flowering Improvement Genes in Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:861193. [PMID: 35557735 PMCID: PMC9087852 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.861193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Chrysanthemum is a well-known ornamental plant with numerous uses. WRKY is a large family of transcription factors known for a variety of functions ranging from stress resistance to plant growth and development. Due to the limited research on the WRKY family in chrysanthemums, we examined them for the first time in Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium. A total of 138 ClWRKY genes were identified, which were classified into three groups. Group III in C. lavandulifolium contains 53 members, which is larger than group III of Arabidopsis. The number of introns varied from one to nine in the ClWRKY gene family. The "WRKYGQK" motif is conserved in 118 members, while other members showed slight variations. AuR and GRE responsive cis-acting elements were located in the promoter region of WRKY members, which are important for plant development and flowering induction. In addition, the W box was present in most genes; the recognition site for the WRKY gene may play a role in autoregulation and cross-regulation. The expression of the most variable 19 genes in terms of different parameters was observed at different stages. Among them, 10 genes were selected due to the presence of CpG islands, while nine genes were selected based on their close association with important Arabidopsis genes related to floral traits. ClWRKY36 and ClWRKY45 exhibit differential expression at flowering stages in the capitulum, while methylation is detected in three genes, including ClWRKY31, ClWRKY100, and ClWRKY129. Our results provide a basis for further exploration of WRKY members to find their functions in plant growth and development, especially in flowering traits.
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Li R, Su X, Zhou R, Zhang Y, Wang T. Molecular mechanism of mulberry response to drought stress revealed by complementary transcriptomic and iTRAQ analyses. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 22:36. [PMID: 35039015 PMCID: PMC8762937 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-021-03410-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of mulberry leaves has long been limited to raising silkworms, but with the continuous improvement of mulberry (Morus alba) resource development and utilization, various mulberry leaf extension products have emerged. However, the fresh leaves of mulberry trees have a specific window of time for picking and are susceptible to adverse factors, such as drought stress. Therefore, exploring the molecular mechanism by which mulberry trees resist drought stress and clarifying the regulatory network of the mulberry drought response is the focus of the current work. RESULTS In this study, natural and drought-treated mulberry grafted seedlings were used for transcriptomic and proteomic analyses (CK vs. DS9), aiming to clarify the molecular mechanism of the mulberry drought stress response. Through transcriptome and proteome sequencing, we identified 9889 DEGs and 1893 DEPs enriched in stress-responsive GO functional categories, such as signal transducer activity, antioxidant activity, and transcription regulator activity. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that a large number of codifferentially expressed genes were enriched in flavonoid biosynthesis pathways, hormone signalling pathways, lignin metabolism and other pathways. Through subsequent cooperation analysis, we identified 818 codifferentially expressed genes in the CK vs. DS9 comparison group, including peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDHs), glutathione s-transferase (GST) and other genes closely related to the stress response. In addition, we determined that the mulberry gene MaWRKYIII8 (XP_010104968.1) underwent drought- and abscisic acid (ABA)-induced expression, indicating that it may play an important role in the mulberry response to drought stress. CONCLUSIONS Our research shows that mulberry can activate proline and ABA biosynthesis pathways and produce a large amount of proline and ABA, which improves the drought resistance of mulberry. MaWRKYIII8 was up-regulated and induced by drought and exogenous ABA, indicating that MaWRKYIII8 may be involved in the mulberry response to drought stress. These studies will help us to analyse the molecular mechanism underlying mulberry drought tolerance and provide important gene information and a theoretical basis for improving mulberry drought tolerance through molecular breeding in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixue Li
- Sericultural Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xueqiang Su
- Sericultural Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Rong Zhou
- Sericultural Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yuping Zhang
- Sericultural Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Taichu Wang
- Sericultural Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, Anhui, China.
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18
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Yan L, Baoxiang W, Jingfang L, Zhiguang S, Ming C, Yungao X, Bo X, Bo Y, Jian L, Jinbo L, Tingmu C, Zhaowei F, Baiguan L, Dayong X, Bello BK. A novel SAPK10-WRKY87-ABF1 biological pathway synergistically enhance abiotic stress tolerance in transgenic rice (Oryza sativa). PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2021; 168:252-262. [PMID: 34656861 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
WRKY transcription factors play a role in a variety of biological processes. Several studies have revealed that abiotic stress regulates the transcription of a large number of WRKY genes. In this study, we report the identification of a novel 'SAPK10-WRKY87-ABF1' biological pathway, through which they harmoniously enhance drought and salinity tolerance. We generated OsWRKY87-overexpressing transgenic rice and found that the transgenic seedlings exhibited significantly improved drought and salinity stress tolerance. Subcellular localization in rice seedling protoplast revealed that OsWRKY87-GFP fusion protein mostly accumulated in the nucleus, suggesting that OsWRKY87 is a nucleus-localized protein, in line with the predicted function of OsWRKY87 as a transcription factor. In vivo interaction between SAPK10 and WRKY87 was demonstrated by Yeast two-hybrid-assay. In addition, phosphorylation assays showed that SAPK10 exhibits autophosphorylation activity on the 177th serine, enabling it to phosphorylate WRKY87. OsWRKY87 functioned as a transcriptional initiator, according to a yeast one-hybrid assay and a luciferase assay. Remarkably, gel mobility shift assay showed that phosphorylated WRKY87 enhances its DNA-binding ability to the W-box cis-element of ABF1 promoter and activated its transcription, thereby elevating the ABF1 transcription and improving drought and salinity tolerance. Overall, our findings revealed a novel 'SAPK10- WRKY87-ABF1' module, which synergistically interacts to improve drought and salt tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa).
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Yan
- Lianyungang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Lianyungang 222006, China
| | - Wang Baoxiang
- Lianyungang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Lianyungang 222006, China
| | - Li Jingfang
- Lianyungang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Lianyungang 222006, China
| | - Sun Zhiguang
- Lianyungang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Lianyungang 222006, China
| | - Chi Ming
- Lianyungang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Lianyungang 222006, China
| | - Xing Yungao
- Lianyungang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Lianyungang 222006, China
| | - Xu Bo
- Lianyungang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Lianyungang 222006, China
| | - Yang Bo
- Lianyungang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Lianyungang 222006, China
| | - Li Jian
- Lianyungang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Lianyungang 222006, China
| | - Liu Jinbo
- Lianyungang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Lianyungang 222006, China
| | - Chen Tingmu
- Lianyungang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Lianyungang 222006, China
| | - Fang Zhaowei
- Lianyungang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Lianyungang 222006, China
| | - Lu Baiguan
- Lianyungang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Lianyungang 222006, China
| | - Xu Dayong
- Lianyungang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Lianyungang 222006, China.
| | - Babatunde Kazeem Bello
- Lianyungang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Lianyungang 222006, China.
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Zhang C, Cheng Q, Wang H, Gao H, Fang X, Chen X, Zhao M, Wei W, Song B, Liu S, Wu J, Zhang S, Xu P. GmBTB/POZ promotes the ubiquitination and degradation of LHP1 to regulate the response of soybean to Phytophthora sojae. Commun Biol 2021; 4:372. [PMID: 33742112 PMCID: PMC7979691 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01907-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Phytophthora sojae is a pathogen that causes stem and root rot in soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.). We previously demonstrated that GmBTB/POZ, a BTB/POZ domain-containing nuclear protein, enhances resistance to P. sojae in soybean, via a process that depends on salicylic acid (SA). Here, we demonstrate that GmBTB/POZ associates directly with soybean LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN1 (GmLHP1) in vitro and in vivo and promotes its ubiquitination and degradation. Both overexpression and RNA interference analysis of transgenic lines demonstrate that GmLHP1 negatively regulates the response of soybean to P. sojae by reducing SA levels and repressing GmPR1 expression. The WRKY transcription factor gene, GmWRKY40, a SA-induced gene in the SA signaling pathway, is targeted by GmLHP1, which represses its expression via at least two mechanisms (directly binding to its promoter and impairing SA accumulation). Furthermore, the nuclear localization of GmLHP1 is required for the GmLHP1-mediated negative regulation of immunity, SA levels and the suppression of GmWRKY40 expression. Finally, GmBTB/POZ releases GmLHP1-regulated GmWRKY40 suppression and increases resistance to P. sojae in GmLHP1-OE hairy roots. These findings uncover a regulatory mechanism by which GmBTB/POZ-GmLHP1 modulates resistance to P. sojae in soybean, likely by regulating the expression of downstream target gene GmWRKY40.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanzhong Zhang
- Soybean Research Institute, Northeast Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of Chinese Education Ministry, Harbin, China
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Qun Cheng
- Soybean Research Institute, Northeast Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of Chinese Education Ministry, Harbin, China
| | - Huiyu Wang
- Soybean Research Institute, Northeast Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of Chinese Education Ministry, Harbin, China
| | - Hong Gao
- Soybean Research Institute, Northeast Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of Chinese Education Ministry, Harbin, China
| | - Xin Fang
- Soybean Research Institute, Northeast Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of Chinese Education Ministry, Harbin, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Soybean Research Institute, Northeast Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of Chinese Education Ministry, Harbin, China
| | - Ming Zhao
- Soybean Research Institute, Northeast Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of Chinese Education Ministry, Harbin, China
| | - Wanling Wei
- Soybean Research Institute, Northeast Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of Chinese Education Ministry, Harbin, China
| | - Bo Song
- Soybean Research Institute, Northeast Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of Chinese Education Ministry, Harbin, China
| | - Shanshan Liu
- Soybean Research Institute, Northeast Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of Chinese Education Ministry, Harbin, China
| | - Junjiang Wu
- Soybean Research Institute of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Soybean Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture, Harbin, China
| | - Shuzhen Zhang
- Soybean Research Institute, Northeast Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of Chinese Education Ministry, Harbin, China.
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Soybean Research Institute, Northeast Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of Chinese Education Ministry, Harbin, China.
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Overexpression of ZmWRKY65 transcription factor from maize confers stress resistances in transgenic Arabidopsis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4024. [PMID: 33597656 PMCID: PMC7889854 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83440-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant-specific WRKY transcription factors play important roles in regulating the expression of defense-responsive genes against pathogen attack. A multiple stress-responsive WRKY gene, ZmWRKY65, was identified in maize by screening salicylic acid (SA)-induced de novo transcriptomic sequences. The ZmWRKY65 protein was localized in the nucleus of mesophyll protoplasts. The analysis of the ZmWRKY65 promoter sequence indicated that it contains several stress-related transcriptional regulatory elements. Many environmental factors affecting the transcription of ZmWRKY65 gene, such as drought, salinity, high temperature and low temperature stress. Moreover, the transcription of ZmWRKY65 gene was also affected by the induction of defense related plant hormones such as SA and exogenous ABA. The results of seed germination and stomatal aperture assays indicated that transgenic Arabidopsis plants exhibit enhanced sensitivity to ABA and high concentrations of SA. Overexpression of ZmWRKY65 improved tolerance to both pathogen attack and abiotic stress in transgenic Arabidopsis plants and activated several stress-related genes such as RD29A, ERD10, and STZ as well as pathogenesis-related (PR) genes such as PR1, PR2 and PR5; these genes are involved in resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses in Arabidopsis. Together, this evidence implies that the ZmWRKY65 gene is involved in multiple stress signal transduction pathways.
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21
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De Novo Transcriptome Sequencing of Rough Lemon Leaves ( Citrus jambhiri Lush.) in Response to Plenodomus tracheiphilus Infection. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020882. [PMID: 33477297 PMCID: PMC7830309 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mal secco is one of the most severe diseases of citrus, caused by the necrotrophic fungus Plenodomus tracheiphilus. With the main aim of identifying candidate genes involved in the response of citrus plants to "Mal secco", we performed a de novo transcriptome analysis of rough lemon seedlings subjected to inoculation of P. tracheiphilus. The analysis of differential expressed genes (DEGs) highlighted a sharp response triggered by the pathogen as a total of 4986 significant DEGs (2865 genes up-regulated and 2121 down-regulated) have been revealed. The analysis of the most significantly enriched KEGG pathways indicated that a crucial role is played by genes involved in "Plant hormone signal transduction", "Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis", and "Carbon metabolism". The main findings of this work are that under fungus challenge, the rough lemon genes involved both in the light harvesting and the photosynthetic electron flow were significantly down-regulated, thus probably inducing a shortage of energy for cellular functions. Moreover, the systemic acquired resistance (SAR) was activated through the induced salicylic acid cascade. Interestingly, RPM1 interacting protein 4, an essential positive regulator of plant defense, and BIR2, which is a negative regulator of basal level of immunity, have been identified thus representing useful targets for molecular breeding.
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Liu Z, Shi L, Yang S, Qiu S, Ma X, Cai J, Guan D, Wang Z, He S. A conserved double-W box in the promoter of CaWRKY40 mediates autoregulation during response to pathogen attack and heat stress in pepper. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2021; 22:3-18. [PMID: 33151622 PMCID: PMC7749755 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
CaWRKY40 was previously found to be transcriptionally up-regulated by Ralstonia solanacearum inoculation (RSI) or heat stress (HS), but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Herein, we report that a double-W box-element (DWE) in the promoter of CaWRKY40 is critical for these responses. The upstream W box unit WI of this composite element is crucial for preferential binding by CaWRKY40 and responsiveness to RSI or HS. DWE-driven CaWRKY40 can be transcriptionally and nonspecifically regulated by itself and by CaWRKY58 and CaWRKY27. The DWE was also found in the promoters of CaWRKY40 orthologs, including AtWRKY40, VvWRKY40, GmWRKY40, CplWRKY40, SaWRKY40, SpWRKY40, NtWRKY40, and NaWRKY40. DWEAtWRKY40 was analogous to DWECaWRKY40 by responding to RSI or HS and AtWRKY40 expression. These data suggest that a conserved response of plants to pathogen infection or HS is probably mediated by binding of the DWE by WRKY40.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi‐Qin Liu
- National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive UtilizationFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
- College of AgricultureFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Lan‐Ping Shi
- National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive UtilizationFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
- College of AgricultureFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Sheng Yang
- National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive UtilizationFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
- College of AgricultureFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Shan‐Shan Qiu
- National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive UtilizationFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
- College of AgricultureFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Xiao‐Ling Ma
- National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive UtilizationFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
- College of AgricultureFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Jin‐Sen Cai
- National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive UtilizationFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
- College of AgricultureFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - De‐Yi Guan
- National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive UtilizationFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
- College of AgricultureFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Zong‐Hua Wang
- Fujian University Key Laboratory for Plant‐Microbe InteractionCollege of Plant ProtectionFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
- Institute of OceanographyMinjiang UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Shui‐Lin He
- National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive UtilizationFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
- College of AgricultureFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
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Function and Mechanism of WRKY Transcription Factors in Abiotic Stress Responses of Plants. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9111515. [PMID: 33171689 PMCID: PMC7695288 DOI: 10.3390/plants9111515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The WRKY gene family is a plant-specific transcription factor (TF) group, playing important roles in many different response pathways of diverse abiotic stresses (drought, saline, alkali, temperature, and ultraviolet radiation, and so forth). In recent years, many studies have explored the role and mechanism of WRKY family members from model plants to agricultural crops and other species. Abiotic stress adversely affects the growth and development of plants. Thus, a review of WRKY with stress responses is important to increase our understanding of abiotic stress responses in plants. Here, we summarize the structural characteristics and regulatory mechanism of WRKY transcription factors and their responses to abiotic stress. We also discuss current issues and future perspectives of WRKY transcription factor research.
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Jadaun JS, Kushwaha AK, Sangwan NS, Narnoliya LK, Mishra S, Sangwan RS. WRKY1-mediated regulation of tryptophan decarboxylase in tryptamine generation for withanamide production in Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha). PLANT CELL REPORTS 2020; 39:1443-1465. [PMID: 32789542 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-020-02574-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
WsWRKY1-mediated transcriptional modulation of Withania somnifera tryptophan decarboxylase gene (WsTDC) helps to regulate fruit-specific tryptamine generation for production of withanamides. Withania somnifera is a highly valued medicinal plant. Recent demonstration of novel indolyl metabolites called withanamides in its fruits (berries) prompted us to investigate its tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC), as tryptophan is invariably a precursor for indole moiety. TDC catalyzes conversion of tryptophan into tryptamine, and the catalytic reaction constitutes a committed metabolic step for synthesis of an array of indolyl metabolites. The TDC gene (WsTDC) was cloned from berries of the plant and expressed in E. coli. The recombinant enzyme was purified and characterized for its catalytic attributes. Catalytic and structural aspects of the enzyme indicated its regulatory/rate-limiting significance in generation of the indolyl metabolites. Novel tissue-wise and developmentally differential abundance of WsTDC transcripts reflected its preeminent role in withanamide biogenesis in the fruits. Transgenic lines overexpressing WsTDC gene showed accumulation of tryptamine at significantly higher levels, while lines silenced for WsTDC exhibited considerably depleted levels of tryptamine. Cloning and sequence analysis of promoter of WsTDC revealed the presence of W-box in it. Follow-up studies on isolation of WsWRKY1 transcription factor and its overexpression in W. somnifera revealed that WsTDC expression was substantially induced by WsWRKY1 resulting in overproduction of tryptamine. The study invokes a key role of TDC in regulating the indolyl secondary metabolites through enabling elevated flux/supply of tryptamine at multiple levels from gene expression to catalytic attributes overall coordinated by WsWRKY1. This is the first biochemical, molecular, structural, physiological and regulatory description of a fruit-functional TDC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Singh Jadaun
- Department of Metabolic and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India
| | - Amit Kumar Kushwaha
- Department of Metabolic and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India
| | - Neelam S Sangwan
- Department of Metabolic and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India.
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, Haryana, 123031, India.
| | - Lokesh Kumar Narnoliya
- Department of Metabolic and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India
| | - Smrati Mishra
- Department of Metabolic and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India
| | - Rajender Singh Sangwan
- Department of Metabolic and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-HRDC Campus, Sector 19, Kamla Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India.
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Baruah I, Baldodiya GM, Sahu J, Baruah G. Dissecting the Role of Promoters of Pathogen-sensitive Genes in Plant Defense. Curr Genomics 2020; 21:491-503. [PMID: 33214765 PMCID: PMC7604749 DOI: 10.2174/1389202921999200727213500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants inherently show resistance to pathogen attack but are susceptible to multiple bacteria, viruses, fungi, and phytoplasmas. Diseases as a result of such infection leads to the deterioration of crop yield. Several pathogen-sensitive gene activities, promoters of such genes, associated transcription factors, and promoter elements responsible for crosstalk between the defense signaling pathways are involved in plant resistance towards a pathogen. Still, only a handful of genes and their promoters related to plant resistance have been identified to date. Such pathogen-sensitive promoters are accountable for elevating the transcriptional activity of certain genes in response to infection. Also, a suitable promoter is a key to devising successful crop improvement strategies as it ensures the optimum expression of the required transgene. The study of the promoters also helps in mining more details about the transcription factors controlling their activities and helps to unveil the involvement of new genes in the pathogen response. Therefore, the only way out to formulate new solutions is by analyzing the molecular aspects of these promoters in detail. In this review, we provided an overview of the promoter motifs and cis-regulatory elements having specific roles in pathogen attack response. To elaborate on the importance and get a vivid picture of the pathogen-sensitive promoter sequences, the key motifs and promoter elements were analyzed with the help of PlantCare and interpreted with available literature. This review intends to provide useful information for reconstructing the gene networks underlying the resistance of plants against pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jagajjit Sahu
- Address correspondence to these authors at the Department of Mycology & Plant Pathology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi-221005, Uttar Pradesh, India;, E-mail: ; Environment Division, Assam Science Technology & Environment Council, Bigyan Bhawan, Guwahati-781005, Assam, India; E-mail:
| | - Geetanjali Baruah
- Address correspondence to these authors at the Department of Mycology & Plant Pathology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi-221005, Uttar Pradesh, India;, E-mail: ; Environment Division, Assam Science Technology & Environment Council, Bigyan Bhawan, Guwahati-781005, Assam, India; E-mail:
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Gao YF, Liu JK, Yang FM, Zhang GY, Wang D, Zhang L, Ou YB, Yao YA. The WRKY transcription factor WRKY8 promotes resistance to pathogen infection and mediates drought and salt stress tolerance in Solanum lycopersicum. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2020; 168:98-117. [PMID: 31017672 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.12978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2019] [Revised: 04/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
WRKY transcription factors play a key role in the tolerance of biotic and abiotic stresses across various crop species, but the function of some WRKY genes, particularly in tomato, remains unexplored. Here, we characterize the roles of a previously unstudied WRKY gene, SlWRKY8, in the resistance to pathogen infection and the tolerance to drought and salt stresses. Expression of SlWRKY8 was up-regulated upon Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst. DC3000), abiotic stresses such as drought, salt and cold, as well as ABA and SA treatments. The SlWRKY8 protein was localized to the nucleus with no transcription activation in yeast, but it could activate W-box-dependent transcription in plants. The overexpression of SlWRKY8 in tomato conferred a greater resistance to the pathogen Pst. DC3000 and resulted in the increased transcription levels of two pathogen-related genes SlPR1a1 and SlPR7. Moreover, transgenic plants displayed the alleviated wilting or chlorosis phenotype under drought and salt stresses, with higher levels of stress-induced osmotic substances like proline and higher transcript levels of the stress-responsive genes SlAREB, SlDREB2A and SlRD29. Stomatal aperature was smaller under drought stress in transgenic plants, maintaining higher water content in leaves compared with wild-type plants. The oxidative pressure, indicated by the concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) and malondialdehyde (MDA), was also reduced in transgenic plants, where we also observed higher levels of antioxidant enzyme activities under stress. Overall, our results suggest that SlWRKY8 functions as a positive regulator in plant immunity against pathogen infection as well as in plant responses to drought and salt stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Feng Gao
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Ji-Kai Liu
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng-Ming Yang
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Guo-Yan Zhang
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan Wang
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Zhang
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong-Bin Ou
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yin-An Yao
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, People's Republic of China
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Dong H, Tan J, Li M, Yu Y, Jia S, Zhang C, Wu Y, Liu Y. Transcriptome analysis of soybean WRKY TFs in response to Peronospora manshurica infection. Genomics 2019; 111:1412-1422. [PMID: 30267765 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2018.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Soybean downy mildew (SDM) caused by Peronospora manshurica (Pm) is a common disease of soybean that occurs wherever soybean is grown. In order to provide new insights about the defense mechanism of soybean response to Pm infection, differential expression of WRKY transcription factors (TFs) in SDM-high resistant (HR) and SDM-high susceptible (HS) genotypes were analyzed in this study. Totally, 22 WRKY TFs were differentially expressed in HR and HS genotype, while 16 WRKY TFs were found to be specific in response to fungal inoculation. By yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assay, the GmWRKY31 was characterized to be able to bind the cis-acting W-box element in the promoter region of the GmSAGT1 gene whose higher transcriptional expression was associated with enhanced SDM-resistance. This result of Y1H assay, together with the activation of GmSAGT1 both by SA (salicylic acid) induction and Pm infection in vivo, let us to speculate that the GmWRKY31 might regulate the GmSAGT1 gene expression and involve in SA-mediated immune responses in soybean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Dong
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China; College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, China
| | - Jie Tan
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
| | - Mei Li
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
| | - Yue Yu
- School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Shirong Jia
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
| | - Chong Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, China
| | - Yuanhua Wu
- College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, China.
| | - Yuhui Liu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China.
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Backer R, Naidoo S, van den Berg N. The NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES 1 (NPR1) and Related Family: Mechanistic Insights in Plant Disease Resistance. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:102. [PMID: 30815005 PMCID: PMC6381062 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES 1 (NPR1) and related NPR1-like proteins are a functionally similar, yet surprisingly diverse family of transcription co-factors. Initially, NPR1 in Arabidopsis was identified as a positive regulator of systemic acquired resistance (SAR), paralogs NPR3 and NPR4 were later shown to be negative SAR regulators. The mechanisms involved have been the subject of extensive research and debate over the years, during which time a lot has been uncovered. The known roles of this protein family have extended to include influences over a broad range of systems including circadian rhythm, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) resident proteins and the development of lateral organs. Recently, important advances have been made in understanding the regulatory relationship between members of the NPR1-like protein family, providing new insight regarding their interactions, both with each other and other defense-related proteins. Most importantly the influence of salicylic acid (SA) on these interactions has become clearer with NPR1, NPR3, and NPR4 being considered bone fide SA receptors. Additionally, post-translational modification of NPR1 has garnered attention during the past years, adding to the growing regulatory complexity of this protein. Furthermore, growing interest in NPR1 overexpressing crops has provided new insights regarding the role of NPR1 in both biotic and abiotic stresses in several plant species. Given the wealth of information, this review aims to highlight and consolidate the most relevant and influential research in the field to date. In so doing, we attempt to provide insight into the mechanisms and interactions which underly the roles of the NPR1-like proteins in plant disease responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Backer
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Sanushka Naidoo
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Noëlani van den Berg
- Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- *Correspondence: Noëlani van den Berg,
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Chakraborty J, Ghosh P, Sen S, Das S. Epigenetic and transcriptional control of chickpea WRKY40 promoter activity under Fusarium stress and its heterologous expression in Arabidopsis leads to enhanced resistance against bacterial pathogen. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 276:250-267. [PMID: 30348325 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2018.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Promoters of many defense related genes are enriched with W-box elements serving as binding sites for plant specific WRKY transcription factors. In this study, expression of WRKY40 transcription factor was analyzed in two contrasting susceptible (JG62) and resistant (WR315) genotypes of chickpea infected with Foc1. The resistant plants showed up-regulation of WRKY40 under Fusarium stress, whereas in susceptible plants WRKY40 expression was absent. Additionally, global changes in the histone modification patterns were studied in above two chickpea genotypes by immunoblotting and real-time PCR analyses under control and Fusarium infected conditions. Notably, region specific Histone 3 lysine 9 acetylation, a positive marker of transcription gets enriched at WRKY40 promoter during resistant interaction with Foc1. H3K9 Ac is less enriched at WRKY40 promoter in Foc1 infected susceptible plants. WRKY40 promoter activity was induced by jasmonic acid and pathogen treatment, while salicylic acid failed to stimulate such activity. Moreover, WRKY40 was found to bind to its own promoter and auto-regulates its activity. The present study also showed that heterologous over-expression of chickpea WRKY40 triggers defense response in Arabidopsis against Pseudomonas syringae. Overall, we present epigenetic and transcriptional control of WRKY40 in chickpea under Fusarium stress and its immunomodulatory role is tested in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joydeep Chakraborty
- Division of Plant Biology, Bose Institute, Centenary Campus, P-1/12, CIT Scheme-VIIM, Kankurgachi, Kolkata 700054, West Bengal, India.
| | - Prithwi Ghosh
- Division of Plant Biology, Bose Institute, Centenary Campus, P-1/12, CIT Scheme-VIIM, Kankurgachi, Kolkata 700054, West Bengal, India.
| | - Senjuti Sen
- Division of Plant Biology, Bose Institute, Centenary Campus, P-1/12, CIT Scheme-VIIM, Kankurgachi, Kolkata 700054, West Bengal, India.
| | - Sampa Das
- Division of Plant Biology, Bose Institute, Centenary Campus, P-1/12, CIT Scheme-VIIM, Kankurgachi, Kolkata 700054, West Bengal, India.
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30
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Birkenbihl RP, Kracher B, Ross A, Kramer K, Finkemeier I, Somssich IE. Principles and characteristics of the Arabidopsis WRKY regulatory network during early MAMP-triggered immunity. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 96:487-502. [PMID: 30044528 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
During microbe-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity more than 5000 Arabidopsis genes are significantly altered in their expression, and the question arises, how such an enormous reprogramming of the transcriptome can be regulated in a safe and robust manner? For the WRKY transcription factors (TFs), which are important regulators of numerous defense responses, it appears that they act in a complex regulatory sub-network rather than in a linear fashion, which would be much more vulnerable to gene function loss either by pathogen-derived effectors or by mutations. In this study we employed RNA-seq, mass spectrometry and chromatin immunoprecipitation-seq to find evidence for and uncover principles and characteristics of this network. Upon flg22-treatment, one can distinguish between two sets of WRKY genes: constitutively expressed and induced WRKY genes. Prior to elicitation the induced WRKY genes appear to be maintained in a repressed state mainly by the constitutively expressed WRKY factors, which themselves appear to be regulated by non-WRKY TFs. Upon elicitation, induced WRKYs rapidly bind to induced WRKY gene promoters and by auto- and cross-regulation build up the regulatory network. Maintenance of this flg22-induced network appears highly robust as removal of three key WRKY factors can be physically and functionally compensated for by other WRKY family members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer P Birkenbihl
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Barbara Kracher
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Annegret Ross
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Katharina Kramer
- Plant Proteomics, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné Weg10, 50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Iris Finkemeier
- Plant Proteomics, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné Weg10, 50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Imre E Somssich
- Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany
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Chen S, Zhang W, Bolus S, Rouse MN, Dubcovsky J. Identification and characterization of wheat stem rust resistance gene Sr21 effective against the Ug99 race group at high temperature. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007287. [PMID: 29614079 PMCID: PMC5882135 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Wheat stem rust, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt), is a devastating foliar disease. The Ug99 race group has combined virulence to most stem rust (Sr) resistance genes deployed in wheat and is a threat to global wheat production. Here we identified a coiled-coil, nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat protein (NLR) completely linked to the Ug99 resistance gene Sr21 from Triticum monococcum. Loss-of-function mutations and transgenic complementation confirmed that this gene is Sr21. Sr21 transcripts were significantly higher at high temperatures, and this was associated with significant upregulation of pathogenesis related (PR) genes and increased levels of resistance at those temperatures. Introgression of Sr21 into hexaploid wheat resulted in lower levels of resistance than in diploid wheat, but transgenic hexaploid wheat lines with high levels of Sr21 expression showed high levels of resistance. Sr21 can be a valuable component of transgenic cassettes or gene pyramids combining multiple resistance genes against Ug99. Wheat stem rust is a devastating disease that is threatening global wheat production. The emergence of new virulent races of this pathogen in Africa, including the Ug99 race group, has prompted global efforts to find effective resistance genes. We report here the identification of stem rust resistance gene Sr21 that is effective against the Ug99 race group. We developed a diagnostic marker to accelerate its deployment in wheat breeding programs and demonstrated that the introduction of two Sr21 copies in transgenic wheat results in high levels of resistance. An unusual characteristic of Sr21 is its increased resistance to stem rust at high temperatures. We show here that this is associated with the ability of Sr21 to coordinate the upregulation of multiple pathogenesis related genes at high temperatures. These genes slow down the growth of the pathogen and result in the characteristic Sr21 intermediate resistance reaction at high temperatures. A better understanding of this temperature dependent resistance mechanism will be useful for controlling the rust pathogens in our changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shisheng Chen
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Wenjun Zhang
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Stephen Bolus
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Matthew N Rouse
- USDA-ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory and Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States of America
| | - Jorge Dubcovsky
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States of America
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Liu F, Li X, Wang M, Wen J, Yi B, Shen J, Ma C, Fu T, Tu J. Interactions of WRKY15 and WRKY33 transcription factors and their roles in the resistance of oilseed rape to Sclerotinia infection. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2018; 16:911-925. [PMID: 28929638 PMCID: PMC5867032 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
WRKY transcription factors are known to participate in the defence responses of higher plants. However, little is known about the roles of such proteins, especially regarding their functions in the resistance of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, a necrotrophic fungal pathogen that causes stem rot. In this study, we identified BnWRKY33 as a S. sclerotiorum-responsive gene that positively regulates resistance to this pathogen by enhancing the expression of genes involved in camalexin synthesis and genes regulated by salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA). We also identified a S. sclerotiorum-responsive region in the promoter of BnWRKY33, which we revealed to be a relatively conserved W-box region in the promoters of homologous genes in different species. Using this S. sclerotiorum-responsive region as bait in a yeast one-hybrid assay, we identified another WRKY transcription factor, BnWRKY15, and observed that both BnWRKY15 and BnWRKY33 could bind to this region. In addition, BnWRKY15 overexpression simultaneously increased the susceptibility of B. napus to S. sclerotiorum and down-regulated BnWRKY33 after different durations of infection. Furthermore, BnWRKY15, which contains a transcriptional repression domain, exhibited reduced transactivation ability and could reduce the transactivation ability of BnWRKY33 in Arabidopsis protoplast assays. Therefore, we suggest that the increased susceptibility of BnWRKY15-overexpressing plants results from reduced BnWRKY33 expression, which is due to the inhibition of BnWRKY33 transcriptional activation by BnWRKY15.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Liu
- National Key Lab of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Rapeseed Improvement in WuhanCollege of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanHubeiChina
- Present address:
Department of Plant ScienceUniversity of ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
| | - Xiaoxia Li
- National Key Lab of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Rapeseed Improvement in WuhanCollege of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanHubeiChina
| | - Meirong Wang
- National Key Lab of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Rapeseed Improvement in WuhanCollege of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanHubeiChina
| | - Jing Wen
- National Center of Rapeseed Improvement in WuhanCollege of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanHubeiChina
| | - Bin Yi
- National Key Lab of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Rapeseed Improvement in WuhanCollege of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanHubeiChina
| | - Jinxiong Shen
- National Center of Rapeseed Improvement in WuhanCollege of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanHubeiChina
| | - Chaozhi Ma
- National Key Lab of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Rapeseed Improvement in WuhanCollege of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanHubeiChina
| | - Tingdong Fu
- National Key Lab of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Rapeseed Improvement in WuhanCollege of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanHubeiChina
| | - Jinxing Tu
- National Key Lab of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Rapeseed Improvement in WuhanCollege of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanHubeiChina
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Jiang J, Ma S, Ye N, Jiang M, Cao J, Zhang J. WRKY transcription factors in plant responses to stresses. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2017; 59:86-101. [PMID: 27995748 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.12513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 487] [Impact Index Per Article: 69.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The WRKY gene family is among the largest families of transcription factors (TFs) in higher plants. By regulating the plant hormone signal transduction pathway, these TFs play critical roles in some plant processes in response to biotic and abiotic stress. Various bodies of research have demonstrated the important biological functions of WRKY TFs in plant response to different kinds of biotic and abiotic stresses and working mechanisms. However, very little summarization has been done to review their research progress. Not just important TFs function in plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses, WRKY also participates in carbohydrate synthesis, senescence, development, and secondary metabolites synthesis. WRKY proteins can bind to W-box (TGACC (A/T)) in the promoter of its target genes and activate or repress the expression of downstream genes to regulate their stress response. Moreover, WRKY proteins can interact with other TFs to regulate plant defensive responses. In the present review, we focus on the structural characteristics of WRKY TFs and the research progress on their functions in plant responses to a variety of stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology Shenzhen Base, Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Shenghui Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology Shenzhen Base, Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
- Laboratory of Cell & Molecular Biology, Institute of Vegetable Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Nenghui Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology Shenzhen Base, Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Ming Jiang
- Ecology Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Science, Taizhou University, Jiaojiang 318000, China
| | - Jiashu Cao
- Laboratory of Cell & Molecular Biology, Institute of Vegetable Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology Shenzhen Base, Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
- School of Life Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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34
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Aamir M, Singh VK, Meena M, Upadhyay RS, Gupta VK, Singh S. Structural and Functional Insights into WRKY3 and WRKY4 Transcription Factors to Unravel the WRKY-DNA (W-Box) Complex Interaction in Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.). A Computational Approach. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:819. [PMID: 28611792 PMCID: PMC5447077 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The WRKY transcription factors (TFs), play crucial role in plant defense response against various abiotic and biotic stresses. The role of WRKY3 and WRKY4 genes in plant defense response against necrotrophic pathogens is well-reported. However, their functional annotation in tomato is largely unknown. In the present work, we have characterized the structural and functional attributes of the two identified tomato WRKY transcription factors, WRKY3 (SlWRKY3), and WRKY4 (SlWRKY4) using computational approaches. Arabidopsis WRKY3 (AtWRKY3: NP_178433) and WRKY4 (AtWRKY4: NP_172849) protein sequences were retrieved from TAIR database and protein BLAST was done for finding their sequential homologs in tomato. Sequence alignment, phylogenetic classification, and motif composition analysis revealed the remarkable sequential variation between, these two WRKYs. The tomato WRKY3 and WRKY4 clusters with Solanum pennellii showing the monophyletic origin and evolution from their wild homolog. The functional domain region responsible for sequence specific DNA-binding occupied in both proteins were modeled [using AtWRKY4 (PDB ID:1WJ2) and AtWRKY1 (PDBID:2AYD) as template protein structures] through homology modeling using Discovery Studio 3.0. The generated models were further evaluated for their accuracy and reliability based on qualitative and quantitative parameters. The modeled proteins were found to satisfy all the crucial energy parameters and showed acceptable Ramachandran statistics when compared to the experimentally resolved NMR solution structures and/or X-Ray diffracted crystal structures (templates). The superimposition of the functional WRKY domains from SlWRKY3 and SlWRKY4 revealed remarkable structural similarity. The sequence specific DNA binding for two WRKYs was explored through DNA-protein interaction using Hex Docking server. The interaction studies found that SlWRKY4 binds with the W-box DNA through WRKYGQK with Tyr408, Arg409, and Lys419 with the initial flanking sequences also get involved in binding. In contrast, the SlWRKY3 made interaction with RKYGQK along with the residues from zinc finger motifs. Protein-protein interactions studies were done using STRING version 10.0 to explore all the possible protein partners involved in associative functional interaction networks. The Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed the functional dimension and characterized the identified WRKYs based on their functional annotation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Aamir
- Department of Botany, Centre for Advanced Study, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu UniversityVaranasi, India
| | - Vinay K. Singh
- Centre for Bioinformatics, School of Biotechnology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu UniversityVaranasi, India
| | - Mukesh Meena
- Department of Botany, Centre for Advanced Study, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu UniversityVaranasi, India
| | - Ram S. Upadhyay
- Department of Botany, Centre for Advanced Study, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu UniversityVaranasi, India
| | - Vijai K. Gupta
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, ERA Chair of Green Chemistry, Tallinn University of TechnologyTallinn, Estonia
| | - Surendra Singh
- Department of Botany, Centre for Advanced Study, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu UniversityVaranasi, India
- *Correspondence: Surendra Singh
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Peng X, Wang H, Jang JC, Xiao T, He H, Jiang D, Tang X. OsWRKY80-OsWRKY4 Module as a Positive Regulatory Circuit in Rice Resistance Against Rhizoctonia solani. RICE (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2016; 9:63. [PMID: 27888467 PMCID: PMC5124021 DOI: 10.1186/s12284-016-0137-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant WRKY transcription factors play pivotal roles in diverse biological processes but most notably in plant defense response to pathogens. Sheath blight represents one of the predominant diseases in rice. However, our knowledge about the functions of WRKY proteins in rice defense against sheath blight is rather limited. RESULTS Here we demonstrate that the expression of Oryza sativa WRKY80 gene (OsWRKY80) is rapidly and strongly induced upon infection of Rhizoctonia solani, the causal agent of rice sheath blight disease. OsWRKY80 expression is also induced by exogenous jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET), but not by salicylic acid (SA). OsWRKY80-GFP is localized in the nuclei of onion epidermal cells in a transient expression assay. Consistently, OsWRKY80 exhibits transcriptional activation activity in a GAL4 assay in yeast cells. Overexpression of OsWRKY80 in rice plants significantly enhanced disease resistance to R. solani, concomitant with elevated expression of OsWRKY4, another positive regulator in rice defense against R. solani. Suppression of OsWRKY80 by RNA interference (RNAi), on the other hand, compromised disease resistance to R. solani. Results of yeast one-hybrid assay and transient expression assay in tobacco cells have revealed that OsWRKY80 specifically binds to the promoter regions of OsWRKY4, which contain W-box (TTGAC[C/T]) or W-box like (TGAC[C/T]) cis-elements. CONCLUSIONS We propose that OsWRKY80 functions upstream of OsWRKY4 as an important positive regulatory circuit that is implicated in rice defense response to sheath blight pathogen R. solani.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xixu Peng
- School of Life Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan Rd., Xiangtan, Hunan, 411201, China
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation and Safe Utilization of Heavy Metal-polluted Soils, College of Hunan Province, Xiangtan, Hunan, 411201, China
| | - Haihua Wang
- School of Life Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan Rd., Xiangtan, Hunan, 411201, China.
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of the Pests and Diseases on Horticultural Crops in Hunan Province, Xiangtan, Hunan, 411201, China.
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation and Safe Utilization of Heavy Metal-polluted Soils, College of Hunan Province, Xiangtan, Hunan, 411201, China.
| | - Jyan-Chyun Jang
- Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Applied Plant Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Ting Xiao
- School of Life Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan Rd., Xiangtan, Hunan, 411201, China
| | - Huanhuan He
- School of Life Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan Rd., Xiangtan, Hunan, 411201, China
| | - Dan Jiang
- School of Life Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan Rd., Xiangtan, Hunan, 411201, China
| | - Xinke Tang
- School of Life Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan Rd., Xiangtan, Hunan, 411201, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of the Pests and Diseases on Horticultural Crops in Hunan Province, Xiangtan, Hunan, 411201, China
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Matoušek J, Kocábek T, Patzak J, Bříza J, Siglová K, Mishra AK, Duraisamy GS, Týcová A, Ono E, Krofta K. The "putative" role of transcription factors from HlWRKY family in the regulation of the final steps of prenylflavonid and bitter acids biosynthesis in hop (Humulus lupulus L.). PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 92:263-77. [PMID: 27392499 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-016-0510-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Lupulin glands localized in female hop (Humulus lupulus L.) cones are valuable source of bitter acids, essential oils and polyphenols. These compounds are used in brewing industry and are important for biomedical applications. In this study we describe the potential effect of transcription factors from WRKY family in the activation of the final steps of lupulin biosynthesis. In particular, lupulin gland-specific transcription factor HlWRKY1 that shows significant similarity to AtWRKY75, has ability to activate the set of promoters driving key genes of xanthohumol and bitter acids biosynthesis such as chalcone synthase H1, valerophenone synthase, prenyltransferase 1, 1L and 2 and O-methyltransferase-1. When combined with co-factor HlWDR1 and silencing suppressor p19, HlWRKY1 is able to enhance transient expression of gus gene driven by Omt1 and Chs_H1 promoters to significant level as compared to 35S promoter of CaMV in Nicotiana. benthamiana. Transformation of hop with dual Agrobacterium vector bearing HlWRKY1/HlWDR1 led to ectopic overexpression of these transgenes and further activation of lupulin-specific genes expression in hop leaves. It was further showed that (1) HlWRKY1 is endowed with promoter autoactivation; (2) It is regulated by post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) mechanism; (3) It is stimulated by kinase co-expression. Since HlWRKY1 promotes expression of lupulin-specific HlMyb3 gene therefore it can constitute a significant component in hop lupulin regulation network. Putative involvement of HlWRKY1 in the regulation of lupulin biosynthesis may suggest the original physiological function of lupulin components in hop as flower and seed protective compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaroslav Matoušek
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences v.v.i, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Tomáš Kocábek
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences v.v.i, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Patzak
- Hop Research Institute, Co. Ltd., Kadaňská 2525, 438 46, Žatec, Czech Republic
| | - Jindřich Bříza
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences v.v.i, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Kristýna Siglová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences v.v.i, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ajay Kumar Mishra
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences v.v.i, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ganesh Selvaraj Duraisamy
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences v.v.i, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Týcová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences v.v.i, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Eiichiro Ono
- Research Institute, Suntory Global Innovation Center (SIC) Ltd., 1-1-1 Wakayamadai, Shimamoto, Mishima, Osaka, 618-8503, Japan
| | - Karel Krofta
- Hop Research Institute, Co. Ltd., Kadaňská 2525, 438 46, Žatec, Czech Republic
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Jiang Y, Yu D. The WRKY57 Transcription Factor Affects the Expression of Jasmonate ZIM-Domain Genes Transcriptionally to Compromise Botrytis cinerea Resistance. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 171:2771-82. [PMID: 27268959 PMCID: PMC4972294 DOI: 10.1104/pp.16.00747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Although necrotrophic pathogens cause many devastating plant diseases, our understanding of the plant defense response to them is limited. Here, we found that loss of function of WRKY57 enhanced the resistance of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) against Botrytis cinerea infection. Further investigation suggested that the negative regulation of WRKY57 against B cinerea depends on the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that WRKY57 directly binds to the promoters of JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN1 (JAZ1) and JAZ5, encoding two important repressors of the JA signaling pathway, and activates their transcription. In vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that WRKY57 interacts with nuclear-encoded SIGMA FACTOR BINDING PROTEIN1 (SIB1) and SIB2. Further experiments display that the same domain, the VQ motif, of SIB1 and SIB2 interact with WRKY33 and WRKY57. Moreover, transient transcriptional activity assays confirmed that WRKY57 and WRKY33 competitively regulate JAZ1 and JAZ5, SIB1 and SIB2 further enhance these competitions of WRKY57 to WRKY33. Therefore, coordinated regulation of Arabidopsis against B cinerea by transcription activators and repressors would benefit plants by allowing fine regulation of defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjuan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Diqiu Yu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
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38
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Xiao D, Liu ST, Wei YP, Zhou DY, Hou XL, Li Y, Hu CM. cDNA-AFLP analysis reveals differential gene expression in incompatible interaction between infected non-heading Chinese cabbage and Hyaloperonospora parasitica. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2016; 3:16034. [PMID: 27602230 PMCID: PMC4962739 DOI: 10.1038/hortres.2016.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2016] [Revised: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis) is one of the main green leafy vegetables in the world, especially in China, with significant economic value. Hyaloperonospora parasitica is a fungal pathogen responsible for causing downy mildew disease in Chinese cabbage, which greatly affects its production. The objective of this study was to identify transcriptionally regulated genes during incompatible interactions between non-heading Chinese cabbage and H. parasitica using complementary DNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP). We obtained 129 reliable differential transcript-derived fragments (TDFs) in a resistant line 'Suzhou Qing'. Among them, 121 upregulated TDFs displayed an expression peak at 24-48 h post inoculation (h.p.i.). Fifteen genes were further selected for validation of cDNA-AFLP expression patterns using quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Results confirmed the altered expression patterns of 13 genes (86.7%) revealed by the cDNA-AFLP. We identified four TDFs related to fungal resistance among the 15 TDFs. Furthermore, comparative analysis of four TDFs between resistant line 'Suzhou Qing' and susceptible line 'Aijiao Huang' showed that transcript levels of TDF14 (BcLIK1_A01) peaked at 48 h.p.i. and 25.1-fold increased in the resistant line compared with the susceptible line. Similarly, transcript levels of the other three genes, TDF42 (BcCAT3_A07), TDF75 (BcAAE3_A06) and TDF88 (BcAMT2_A05) peaked at 24, 48 and 24 h.p.i. with 25.1-, 100- and 15.8-fold increases, respectively. The results suggested that the resistance genes tended to transcribe at higher levels in the resistance line than in the susceptible line, which may provide resistance against pathogen infections. The present study might facilitate elucidating the molecular basis of the infection process and identifying candidate genes for resistance improvement of susceptible cultivars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Xiao
- Horticulture Department, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Shi-Tuo Liu
- Horticulture Department, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yan-Ping Wei
- Horticulture Department, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Dao-Yun Zhou
- Horticulture Department, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xi-Lin Hou
- Horticulture Department, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Ying Li
- Horticulture Department, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Chun-Mei Hu
- Horticulture Department, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210095, China
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39
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Shen L, Yang S, Yang T, Liang J, Cheng W, Wen J, Liu Y, Li J, Shi L, Tang Q, Shi W, Hu J, Liu C, Zhang Y, Mou S, Liu Z, Cai H, He L, Guan D, Wu Y, He S. CaCDPK15 positively regulates pepper responses to Ralstonia solanacearum inoculation and forms a positive-feedback loop with CaWRKY40 to amplify defense signaling. Sci Rep 2016; 6:22439. [PMID: 26928570 PMCID: PMC4772545 DOI: 10.1038/srep22439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
CaWRKY40 is a positive regulator of pepper (Capsicum annum) response to Ralstonia solanacearum inoculation (RSI), but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we functionally characterize CaCDPK15 in the defense signaling mediated by CaWRKY40. Pathogen-responsive TGA, W, and ERE boxes were identified in the CaCDPK15 promoter (pCaCDPK15), and pCaCDPK15-driven GUS expression was significantly enhanced in response to RSI and exogenously applied salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, abscisic acid, and ethephon. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of CaCDPK15 significantly increased the susceptibility of pepper to RSI and downregulated the immunity-associated markers CaNPR1, CaPR1, and CaDEF1. By contrast, transient CaCDPK15 overexpression significantly activated hypersensitive response associated cell death, upregulated the immunity-associated marker genes, upregulated CaWRKY40 expression, and enriched CaWRKY40 at the promoters of its targets genes. Although CaCDPK15 failed to interact with CaWRKY40, the direct binding of CaWRKY40 to pCaCDPK15 was detected by chromatin immunoprecipitation, which was significantly potentiated by RSI in pepper plants. These combined results suggest that RSI in pepper induces CaCDPK15 and indirectly activates downstream CaWRKY40, which in turn potentiates CaCDPK15 expression. This positive-feedback loop would amplify defense signaling against RSI and efficiently activate strong plant immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Shen
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Sheng Yang
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Tong Yang
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Jiaqi Liang
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Wei Cheng
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Jiayu Wen
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Yanyan Liu
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Jiazhi Li
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Lanping Shi
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Qian Tang
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Wei Shi
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Jiong Hu
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Cailing Liu
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Yangwen Zhang
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Shaoliang Mou
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Zhiqin Liu
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Hanyang Cai
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Li He
- College of Life Science, Jinggang Shan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi 343000, PR China
| | - Deyi Guan
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
| | - Yang Wu
- College of Life Science, Jinggang Shan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi 343000, PR China
| | - Shuilin He
- National Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China.,College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, PR China
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40
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Jiang CH, Huang ZY, Xie P, Gu C, Li K, Wang DC, Yu YY, Fan ZH, Wang CJ, Wang YP, Guo YH, Guo JH. Transcription factors WRKY70 and WRKY11 served as regulators in rhizobacterium Bacillus cereus AR156-induced systemic resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 in Arabidopsis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2016; 67:157-74. [PMID: 26433201 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erv445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The activation of both the SA and JA/ETsignalling pathways may lead to more efficient general and broad resistance to Pst DC3000 by non-pathogenic rhizobacteria. However, the mechanisms that govern this simultaneous activation are unclear. Using Arabidopsis as a model system, two transcription factors, WRKY11 and WRKY70, were identified as important regulators involved in Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR) triggered by Bacillus cereus AR156. The results revealed that AR156 treatment significantly stimulated the transcription of WRKY70, but suppressed that of WRKY11 in Arabidopsis leaves. Furthermore, they were shown to be required for AR156 enhancing the activation of cellular defence responses and the transcription level of the plant defence response gene. Overexpression of the two transcription factors in Arabidopsis also showed that they were essential for AR156 to elicit ISR. AR156-triggered ISR was completely abolished in the double mutant of the two transcription factors, but still partially retained in the single mutants, indicating that the regulation of the two transcription factors depend on two different pathways. The target genes of the two transcription factors and epistasis analysis suggested that WRKY11 regulated AR156-triggered ISR through activating the JA signalling pathway, and WRKY70 regulated the ISR through activating the SA signalling pathway. In addition, both WRKY11 and WRKY70 modulated AR156-triggered ISR in a NPR1-dependent manner. In conclusion, WRKY11 and WRKY70 played an important role in regulating the signalling transduction pathways involved in AR156-triggered ISR. This study is the first to illustrate the mechanism by which a single rhizobacterium elicits ISR by simultaneously activating both the SA and JA/ET signalling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Hao Jiang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Engineering Center of Bioresource Pesticide in Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture; Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China
| | - Zi-Yang Huang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Engineering Center of Bioresource Pesticide in Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture; Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Xie
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Engineering Center of Bioresource Pesticide in Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture; Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China
| | - Chun Gu
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Engineering Center of Bioresource Pesticide in Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture; Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke Li
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Engineering Center of Bioresource Pesticide in Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture; Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China
| | - Da-Chen Wang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Engineering Center of Bioresource Pesticide in Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture; Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Yang Yu
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Engineering Center of Bioresource Pesticide in Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture; Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Hang Fan
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Engineering Center of Bioresource Pesticide in Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture; Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China
| | - Chun-Juan Wang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Engineering Center of Bioresource Pesticide in Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture; Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Plant Protection Station of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning Guangxi 530022, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun-Peng Wang
- Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huai'an 223003, People's Republic of China
| | - Ya-Hui Guo
- Agriculture Institute, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056021, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Hua Guo
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Engineering Center of Bioresource Pesticide in Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture; Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China
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Phukan UJ, Jeena GS, Shukla RK. WRKY Transcription Factors: Molecular Regulation and Stress Responses in Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:760. [PMID: 27375634 PMCID: PMC4891567 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 399] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Plants in their natural habitat have to face multiple stresses simultaneously. Evolutionary adaptation of developmental, physiological, and biochemical parameters give advantage over a single window of stress but not multiple. On the other hand transcription factors like WRKY can regulate diverse responses through a complicated network of genes. So molecular orchestration of WRKYs in plant may provide the most anticipated outcome of simultaneous multiple responses. Activation or repression through W-box and W-box like sequences is regulated at transcriptional, translational, and domain level. Because of the tight regulation involved in specific recognition and binding of WRKYs to downstream promoters, they have become promising candidate for crop improvement. Epigenetic, retrograde and proteasome mediated regulation enable WRKYs to attain the dynamic cellular homeostatic reprograming. Overexpression of several WRKYs face the paradox of having several beneficial affects but with some unwanted traits. These overexpression-associated undesirable phenotypes need to be identified and removed for proper growth, development and yeild. Taken together, we have highlighted the diverse regulation and multiple stress response of WRKYs in plants along with the future prospects in this field of research.
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Amato A, Cavallini E, Zenoni S, Finezzo L, Begheldo M, Ruperti B, Tornielli GB. A Grapevine TTG2-Like WRKY Transcription Factor Is Involved in Regulating Vacuolar Transport and Flavonoid Biosynthesis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:1979. [PMID: 28105033 PMCID: PMC5214514 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
A small set of TTG2-like homolog proteins from different species belonging to the WRKY family of transcription factors were shown to share a similar mechanism of action and to control partially conserved biochemical/developmental processes in their native species. In particular, by activating P-ATPases residing on the tonoplast, PH3 from Petunia hybrida promotes vacuolar acidification in petal epidermal cells whereas TTG2 from Arabidopsis thaliana enables the accumulation of proanthocyanidins in the seed coat. In this work we functionally characterized VvWRKY26 identified as the closest grapevine homolog of PhPH3 and AtTTG2. When constitutively expressed in petunia ph3 mutant, VvWRKY26 can fulfill the PH3 function in the regulation of vacuolar pH and restores the wild type pigmentation phenotype. By a global correlation analysis of gene expression and by transient over-expression in Vitis vinifera, we showed transcriptomic relationships of VvWRKY26 with many genes related to vacuolar acidification and transport in grapevine. Moreover, our results indicate an involvement in flavonoid pathway possibly restricted to the control of proanthocyanidin biosynthesis that is consistent with its expression pattern in grape berry tissues. Overall, the results show that, in addition to regulative mechanisms and biological roles shared with TTG2-like orthologs, VvWRKY26 can play roles in fleshy fruit development that have not been previously reported in studies from dry fruit species. This study paves the way toward the comprehension of the regulatory network controlling vacuolar acidification and flavonoid accumulation mechanisms that contribute to the final berry quality traits in grapevine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erika Cavallini
- Department of Biotechnology, University of VeronaVerona, Italy
| | - Sara Zenoni
- Department of Biotechnology, University of VeronaVerona, Italy
| | - Laura Finezzo
- Department of Biotechnology, University of VeronaVerona, Italy
| | - Maura Begheldo
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of PadovaPadova, Italy
| | - Benedetto Ruperti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of PadovaPadova, Italy
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Zhang M, Li S, Nie L, Chen Q, Xu X, Yu L, Fu C. Two jasmonate-responsive factors, TcERF12 and TcERF15, respectively act as repressor and activator of tasy gene of taxol biosynthesis in Taxus chinensis. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 89:463-473. [PMID: 26445975 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-015-0382-382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/19/2015] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is one of the most effective inducers of taxol biosynthetic genes, particularly the tasy gene. However, the mechanism underlying the regulation of tasy by MeJA is still unknown. In this study, a 550-bp 5'-flanking sequence was obtained and confirmed as the promoter of the tasy gene. Deletion analysis revealed that the fragment containing a GCC-box from -150 to -131 was the crucial jasmonate (JA)-responsive element, designated as JRE. Using JRE as bait, two binding proteins, namely TcERF12 and TcERF15, were discovered. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis showed that TcERF12 was related to the repressor AtERF3, while TcERF15 was more related to the activator ORA59; these are typical GCC-box-binding ethylene-responsive factors. Both could significantly respond to MeJA for 10 and 4.5 times, respectively, in 0.5 h. When the two TcERFs were overexpressed in Taxus cells, tasy gene expression decreased by 2.1 times in TcERF12-overexpressing cells, but increased by 2.5 times in TcERF15-overexpressing cells. Results indicated that TcERF12 and TcERF15 were negative and positive regulators, respectively, in the JA signal transduction to the tasy gene by binding the GCC-box in the JRE of the tasy promoter. Our results promote further research on regulatory mechanisms of taxol biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhang
- Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Shutao Li
- Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Nie
- Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingpu Chen
- Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangping Xu
- Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Longjiang Yu
- Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China.
| | - Chunhua Fu
- Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China.
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44
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Zhang M, Li S, Nie L, Chen Q, Xu X, Yu L, Fu C. Two jasmonate-responsive factors, TcERF12 and TcERF15, respectively act as repressor and activator of tasy gene of taxol biosynthesis in Taxus chinensis. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 89:463-73. [PMID: 26445975 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-015-0382-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/19/2015] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is one of the most effective inducers of taxol biosynthetic genes, particularly the tasy gene. However, the mechanism underlying the regulation of tasy by MeJA is still unknown. In this study, a 550-bp 5'-flanking sequence was obtained and confirmed as the promoter of the tasy gene. Deletion analysis revealed that the fragment containing a GCC-box from -150 to -131 was the crucial jasmonate (JA)-responsive element, designated as JRE. Using JRE as bait, two binding proteins, namely TcERF12 and TcERF15, were discovered. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis showed that TcERF12 was related to the repressor AtERF3, while TcERF15 was more related to the activator ORA59; these are typical GCC-box-binding ethylene-responsive factors. Both could significantly respond to MeJA for 10 and 4.5 times, respectively, in 0.5 h. When the two TcERFs were overexpressed in Taxus cells, tasy gene expression decreased by 2.1 times in TcERF12-overexpressing cells, but increased by 2.5 times in TcERF15-overexpressing cells. Results indicated that TcERF12 and TcERF15 were negative and positive regulators, respectively, in the JA signal transduction to the tasy gene by binding the GCC-box in the JRE of the tasy promoter. Our results promote further research on regulatory mechanisms of taxol biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhang
- Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Shutao Li
- Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Nie
- Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingpu Chen
- Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangping Xu
- Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Longjiang Yu
- Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China.
| | - Chunhua Fu
- Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China.
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Wang H, Meng J, Peng X, Tang X, Zhou P, Xiang J, Deng X. Rice WRKY4 acts as a transcriptional activator mediating defense responses toward Rhizoctonia solani, the causing agent of rice sheath blight. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 89:157-71. [PMID: 26275661 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-015-0360-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
WRKY transcription factors have been implicated in the regulation of transcriptional reprogramming associated with various plant processes but most notably with plant defense responses to pathogens. Here we demonstrate that expression of rice WRKY4 gene (OsWRKY4) was rapidly and strongly induced upon infection of Rhizoctonia solani, the causing agent of rice sheath blight, and exogenous jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET). OsWRKY4 is localized to the nucleus of plant cells and possesses transcriptional activation ability. Modulation of OsWRKY4 transcript levels by constitutive overexpression increases resistance to the necrotrophic sheath blight fungus, concomitant with elevated expression of JA- and ET-responsive pathogenesis-related (PR) genes such as PR1a, PR1b, PR5 and PR10/PBZ1. Suppression by RNA interference (RNAi), on the other hand, compromises resistance to the fungal pathogen. Yeast one-hybrid assay and transient expression in tobacco cells reveal that OsWRKY4 specifically binds to the promoter regions of PR1b and PR5 which contain W-box (TTGAC[C/T]), or W-box like (TGAC[C/T]) cis-elements. In conclusion, we propose that OsWRKY4 functions as an important positive regulator that is implicated in the defense responses to rice sheath blight via JA/ET-dependent signal pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haihua Wang
- School of Life Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan Rd., Xiangtan, 411201, Hunan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of the Pests and Diseases on Horticultural Crops in Hunan Province, Xiangtan, 411201, Hunan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation and Safe Utilization of Heavy Metal-Polluted Soils, College of Hunan Province, Xiangtan, 411201, Hunan, China.
| | - Jiao Meng
- School of Life Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan Rd., Xiangtan, 411201, Hunan, China
| | - Xixu Peng
- School of Life Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan Rd., Xiangtan, 411201, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation and Safe Utilization of Heavy Metal-Polluted Soils, College of Hunan Province, Xiangtan, 411201, Hunan, China
| | - Xinke Tang
- School of Life Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan Rd., Xiangtan, 411201, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of the Pests and Diseases on Horticultural Crops in Hunan Province, Xiangtan, 411201, Hunan, China
| | - Pinglan Zhou
- School of Life Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan Rd., Xiangtan, 411201, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of the Pests and Diseases on Horticultural Crops in Hunan Province, Xiangtan, 411201, Hunan, China
| | - Jianhua Xiang
- School of Life Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan Rd., Xiangtan, 411201, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaobo Deng
- School of Life Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan Rd., Xiangtan, 411201, Hunan, China
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Zhou J, Wang J, Zheng Z, Fan B, Yu JQ, Chen Z. Characterization of the promoter and extended C-terminal domain of Arabidopsis WRKY33 and functional analysis of tomato WRKY33 homologues in plant stress responses. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2015; 66:4567-83. [PMID: 25969555 PMCID: PMC4507763 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erv221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Arabidopsis AtWRKY33 plays a critical role in broad plant stress responses. Whether there are evolutionarily conserved homologues of AtWRKY33 in other plants and what make AtWRKY33 such an important protein in plant stress responses are largely unknown. We compared AtWRKY33 with its close homologues to identify AtWRKY33-specific regulatory and structural elements, which were then functionally analysed through complementation. We also performed phylogenetic analysis to identify structural AtWRKY33 homologues in other plants and functionally analysed two tomato homologues through complementation and gene silencing. AtWRKY33 has an extended C-terminal domain (CTD) absent in its close homologue AtWRKY25. Both its CTD and the strong pathogen/stress-responsive expression of AtWRKY33 are necessary to complement the critical phenotypes of atwrky33. Structural AtWRKY33 homologues were identified in both dicot and monocot plants including two (SlWRKY33A and SlWRKY33B) in tomato. Molecular complementation and gene silencing confirmed that the two tomato WRKY genes play a critical role similar to that of AtWRKY33 in plant stress responses. Thus, WRKY33 proteins are evolutionarily conserved with a critical role in broad plant stress responses. Both its CTD and promoter are critical for the uniquely important roles of WRKY33 in plant stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhou
- Department of Horticulture, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Yuhangtang Road 866, Hangzhou 310058, China Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, 915W. State Street, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054, USA
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Horticulture, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Yuhangtang Road 866, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zuyu Zheng
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, 915W. State Street, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054, USA Present address: Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92036, USA
| | - Baofang Fan
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, 915W. State Street, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054, USA
| | - Jing-Quan Yu
- Department of Horticulture, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Yuhangtang Road 866, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhixiang Chen
- Department of Horticulture, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Yuhangtang Road 866, Hangzhou 310058, China Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, 915W. State Street, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054, USA
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Shen Z, Yao J, Sun J, Chang L, Wang S, Ding M, Qian Z, Zhang H, Zhao N, Sa G, Hou P, Lang T, Wang F, Zhao R, Shen X, Chen S. Populus euphratica HSF binds the promoter of WRKY1 to enhance salt tolerance. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2015; 235:89-100. [PMID: 25900569 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2015.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2014] [Revised: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Poplar species increase expressions of transcription factors to deal with salt environments. We assessed the salt-induced transcriptional responses of heat-shock transcription factor (HSF) and WRKY1 in Populus euphratica, and their roles in salt tolerance. High NaCl (200mM) induced PeHSF and PeWRKY1 expressions in P. euphratica, with a rapid rise in roots than in leaves. Moreover, the salt-elicited PeHSF reached its peak level 6h earlier than PeWRKY1 in leaves. PeWRKY1 was down-regulated in salinized P. euphratica when PeHSF was silenced by tobacco rattle virus-based gene silencing. Subcellular assays in onion epidermal cells and Arabidopsis protoplasts revealed that PeHSF and PeWRKY1 were restricted to the nucleus. Transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing PeWRKY1 showed improved salt tolerance in terms of survival rate, root growth, photosynthesis, and ion fluxes. We further isolated an 1182-bp promoter fragment upstream of the translational start of PeWRKY1 from P. euphratica. Promoter sequence analysis revealed that PeWRKY1 harbours four tandem repeats of heat shock element (HSE) in the upstream regulatory region. Yeast one-hybrid assay showed that PeHSF directly binds the cis-acting HSE. To determine whether the HSE cluster was important for salt-induced PeWRKY1 expression, the promoter-reporter construct PeWRKY1-pro::GUS was transferred to tobacco plants. β-glucuronidase activities increased in root, leaf, and stem tissues under salt stress. Therefore, we conclude that salinity increased PeHSF transcription in P. euphratica, and that PeHSF binds the cis-acting HSE of the PeWRKY1 promoter, thus activating PeWRKY1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zedan Shen
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology (Box 162), Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Jun Yao
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology (Box 162), Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Jian Sun
- Institute of Integrative Plant Biology, School of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, PR China
| | - Liwei Chang
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology (Box 162), Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Shaojie Wang
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology (Box 162), Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Mingquan Ding
- College of Agricultural and Food Science, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311300, PR China
| | - Zeyong Qian
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology (Box 162), Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Huilong Zhang
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology (Box 162), Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Nan Zhao
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology (Box 162), Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Gang Sa
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology (Box 162), Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Peichen Hou
- National Engineering Research Center for Information Technology in Agriculture, Beijing 100097, PR China
| | - Tao Lang
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology (Box 162), Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Feifei Wang
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology (Box 162), Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Rui Zhao
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology (Box 162), Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Xin Shen
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology (Box 162), Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Shaoliang Chen
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology (Box 162), Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China.
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WRKY proteins: signaling and regulation of expression during abiotic stress responses. ScientificWorldJournal 2015; 2015:807560. [PMID: 25879071 PMCID: PMC4387944 DOI: 10.1155/2015/807560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2014] [Revised: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
WRKY proteins are emerging players in plant signaling and have been thoroughly reported to play important roles in plants under biotic stress like pathogen attack. However, recent advances in this field do reveal the enormous significance of these proteins in eliciting responses induced by abiotic stresses. WRKY proteins act as major transcription factors, either as positive or negative regulators. Specific WRKY factors which help in the expression of a cluster of stress-responsive genes are being targeted and genetically modified to induce improved abiotic stress tolerance in plants. The knowledge regarding the signaling cascade leading to the activation of the WRKY proteins, their interaction with other proteins of the signaling pathway, and the downstream genes activated by them are altogether vital for justified targeting of the WRKY genes. WRKY proteins have also been considered to generate tolerance against multiple abiotic stresses with possible roles in mediating a cross talk between abiotic and biotic stress responses. In this review, we have reckoned the diverse signaling pattern and biological functions of WRKY proteins throughout the plant kingdom along with the growing prospects in this field of research.
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Yan H, Jia H, Chen X, Hao L, An H, Guo X. The cotton WRKY transcription factor GhWRKY17 functions in drought and salt stress in transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana through ABA signaling and the modulation of reactive oxygen species production. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 55:2060-76. [PMID: 25261532 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcu133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Drought and high salinity are two major environmental factors that significantly limit the productivity of agricultural crops worldwide. WRKY transcription factors play essential roles in the adaptation of plants to abiotic stresses. However, WRKY genes involved in drought and salt tolerance in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) are largely unknown. Here, a group IId WRKY gene, GhWRKY17, was isolated and characterized. GhWRKY17 was found to be induced after exposure to drought, salt, H2O2 and ABA. The constitutive expression of GhWRKY17 in Nicotiana benthamiana remarkably reduced plant tolerance to drought and salt stress, as determined through physiological analyses of the germination rate, root growth, survival rate, leaf water loss and Chl content. GhWRKY17 transgenic plants were observed to be more sensitive to ABA-mediated seed germination and root growth. However, overexpressing GhWRKY17 in N. benthamiana impaired ABA-induced stomatal closure. Furthermore, we found that GhWRKY17 modulated the increased sensitivity of plants to drought by reducing the level of ABA, and transcript levels of ABA-inducible genes, including AREB, DREB, NCED, ERD and LEA, were clearly repressed under drought and salt stress conditions. Consistent with the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), reduced proline contents and enzyme activities, elevated electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde, and lower expression of ROS-scavenging genes, including APX, CAT and SOD, the GhWRKY17 transgenic plants exhibited reduced tolerance to oxidative stress compared with wild-type plants. These results therefore indicate that GhWRKY17 responds to drought and salt stress through ABA signaling and the regulation of cellular ROS production in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiru Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, PR China These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Haihong Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, PR China These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Xiaobo Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, PR China
| | - Lili Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, PR China
| | - Hailong An
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, PR China
| | - Xingqi Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, PR China
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Ye S, Jiang Y, Duan Y, Karim A, Fan D, Yang L, Zhao X, Yin J, Luo K. Constitutive expression of the poplar WRKY transcription factor PtoWRKY60 enhances resistance to Dothiorella gregaria Sacc. in transgenic plants. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 34:1118-29. [PMID: 25281841 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpu079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
WRKY proteins are involved in various physiological processes in plants, especially in coping with diverse biotic and abiotic stresses. However, limited information is available on the roles of specific WRKY transcription factors in poplar defense. In this study, we reported the characterization of PtoWRKY60, a Group IIa WRKY member, from Populus tomentosa Carr. The gene expression profile of PtoWRKY60 in various tissues showed that it significantly accumulated in old leaves. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that PtoWRKY60 had a close relationship with AtWRKY18, AtWRKY40 and AtWRKY60. PtoWRKY60 was induced mainly by salicylic acid (SA) and slightly by Dothiorella gregaria Sacc., jasmonic acid, wounding treatment, low temperature and salinity stresses. Overexpression of PtoWRKY60 in poplar resulted in increased resistance to D. gregaria. The defense-associated genes, such as PR5.1, PR5.2, PR5.4, PR5.5 and CPR5, were markedly up-regulated in transgenic plants overexpressing PtoWRKY60. These results indicate that PtoWRKY60 might be partly involved in the signal transduction pathway initiated by SA in Populus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenglong Ye
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Transgenic Plant and Safety Control, Institute of Resources Botany, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yuanzhong Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Transgenic Plant and Safety Control, Institute of Resources Botany, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yanjiao Duan
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Transgenic Plant and Safety Control, Institute of Resources Botany, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Abdul Karim
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Transgenic Plant and Safety Control, Institute of Resources Botany, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Di Fan
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Transgenic Plant and Safety Control, Institute of Resources Botany, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Li Yang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Transgenic Plant and Safety Control, Institute of Resources Botany, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Transgenic Plant and Safety Control, Institute of Resources Botany, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jia Yin
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
| | - Keming Luo
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Transgenic Plant and Safety Control, Institute of Resources Botany, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
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