scholarly journals Heterologous Expression of the Grapevine JAZ7 Gene in Arabidopsis Confers Enhanced Resistance to Powdery Mildew but Not to Botrytis cinerea

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 3889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Hanif ◽  
Mati Rahman ◽  
Min Gao ◽  
Jinhua Yang ◽  
Bilal Ahmad ◽  
...  

Jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ) family proteins comprise a class of transcriptional repressors that silence jasmonate-inducible genes. Although a considerable amount of research has been carried out on this gene family, there is still very little information available on the role of specific JAZ gene members in multiple pathogen resistance, especially in non-model species. In this study, we investigated the potential resistance function of the VqJAZ7 gene from a disease-resistant wild grapevine, Vitis quinquangularis cv. “Shang-24”, through heterologous expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. VqJAZ7-expressing transgenic Arabidopsis were challenged with three pathogens: the biotrophic fungus Golovinomyces cichoracearum, necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea, and semi-biotrophic bacteria Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. We found that plants expressing VqJAZ7 showed greatly reduced disease symptoms for G. cichoracearum, but not for B. cinerea or P. syringae. In response to G cichoracearum infection, VqJAZ7-expressing transgenic lines exhibited markedly higher levels of cell death, superoxide anions (O2¯, and H2O2 accumulation, relative to nontransgenic control plants. Moreover, we also tested the relative expression of defense-related genes to comprehend the possible induced pathways. Taken together, our results suggest that VqJAZ7 in grapevine participates in molecular pathways of resistance to G. cichoracearum, but not to B. cinerea or P. syringae.

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiao Wang ◽  
Chenfei Zheng ◽  
Xiangqi Shao ◽  
Zhangjian Hu ◽  
Jianxin Li ◽  
...  

AbstractWith global climate change, plants are frequently being exposed to various stresses, such as pathogen attack, drought, and extreme temperatures. Transcription factors (TFs) play crucial roles in numerous plant biological processes; however, the functions of many tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) TFs that regulate plant responses to multiple stresses are largely unknown. Here, using an RNA-seq approach, we identified SlNAP1, a NAC TF-encoding gene, which was strongly induced by various stresses. By generating SlNAP1 transgenic lines and evaluating their responses to biotic and abiotic stresses in tomato, we found that SlNAP1-overexpressing plants showed significantly enhanced defense against two widespread bacterial diseases, leaf speck disease, caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000, and root-borne bacterial wilt disease, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. In addition, SlNAP1 overexpression dramatically improved drought tolerance in tomato. Although the SlNAP1-overexpressing plants were shorter than the wild-type plants during the early vegetative stage, eventually, their fruit yield increased by 10.7%. Analysis of different hormone contents revealed a reduced level of physiologically active gibberellins (GAs) and an increased level of salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid (ABA) in the SlNAP1-overexpressing plants. Moreover, EMSAs and ChIP-qPCR assays showed that SlNAP1 directly activated the transcription of multiple genes involved in GA deactivation and both SA and ABA biosynthesis. Our findings reveal that SlNAP1 is a positive regulator of the tomato defense response against multiple stresses and thus may be a potential breeding target for improving crop yield and stress resistance.


Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 573
Author(s):  
Nkulu Kabange Rolly ◽  
Qari Muhammad Imran ◽  
Hyun-Ho Kim ◽  
Nay Chi Aye ◽  
Adil Hussain ◽  
...  

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB), a vascular disease caused by Xanthomonasoryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), induces a significant reduction in rice yield in severe epidemics. This study investigated the transcriptional regulation of the OsDHODH1 gene in rice cultivars exposed to the Xoo K3 isolate. The symptoms were monitored on a daily basis, and the lesion length of inoculated rice plants was scored 21 days post inoculation (dpi). The most resistant and the highly susceptible cultivars were used for gene expression analysis. The dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) domain is shared by many proteins in different plant species, and in Arabidopsis, this protein is encoded by the AtPYD1 gene. To investigate the functional role of the OsDHODH1 gene under bacterial infection, we inoculated the Arabidopsispyd1-2 knockout (atpyd1-2) plants, lacking the AtPYD1 gene (orthologous gene of the rice OsDHODH1), with Pseudomonassyringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000 vir, and the phenotypic response was scored 9 dpi. Results show that OsDHODH1 was upregulated in Tunnae, the most resistant rice cultivar but downregulated in IRAT112, the highly susceptible rice cultivar. In addition, Tunnae, Sipi and NERICA-L14 exhibited a durable resistance phenotype towards Xoo K3 isolate 21 dpi. Moreover, the expression of OsPR1a and OsPR10b (the rice pathogenesis inducible genes) was significantly upregulated in Tunnae, while being suppressed in IRAT112. Furthermore, the atpyd1-2 plants exhibited a high susceptibility towards Pst DC3000 vir. AtPR1 and AtPR2 (the Arabidopsis pathogenesis inducible genes) transcripts decreased in the atpyd1-2 plants compared to Col-0 (wild type) plants. Due to the above, OsDHODH1 and AtPYD1 are suggested to be involved in the basal adaptive response mechanisms towards bacterial pathogen resistance in plants.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 193
Author(s):  
Shanshan Tian ◽  
Xiangjing Yin ◽  
Peining Fu ◽  
Wei Wu ◽  
Jiang Lu

The protein family with nucleotide binding sites and leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) in plants stimulates immune responses caused by effectors and can mediate resistance to hemi-biotrophs and biotrophs. In our previous study, a Toll-interleukin-1(TIR)-NBS-LRR gene cloned from Vitis amurensis “Shuanghong”, VaRGA1, was induced by Plasmopara viticola and could improve the resistance of tobacco to Phytophthora capsici. In this study, VaRGA1 in “Shuanghong” was also induced by salicylic acid (SA), but inhibited by jasmonic acid (JA). To investigate whether VaRGA1 confers broad-spectrum resistance to pathogens, we transferred this gene into Arabidopsis and then treated with Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis (Hpa), Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea), and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (PstDC3000). Results showed that VaRGA1 improved transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana resistance to the biotrophic Hpa and hemi-biotrophic PstDC3000, but decreased resistance to the necrotrophic B. cinerea. Additionally, qPCR assays showed that VaRGA1 plays an important role in disease resistance by activating SA and inhibiting JA signaling pathways. A 1104 bp promoter fragment of VaRGA1 was cloned and analyzed to further elucidate the mechanism of induction of the gene at the transcriptional level. These results preliminarily confirmed the disease resistance function and signal regulation pathway of VaRGA1, and contributed to the identification of R-genes with broad-spectrum resistance function.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 119
Author(s):  
Chioma Oringanje ◽  
Lillian R. Delacruz ◽  
Yunan Han ◽  
Shirley Luckhart ◽  
Michael A. Riehle

Mitochondrial integrity and homeostasis in the midgut are key factors controlling mosquito fitness and anti-pathogen resistance. Targeting genes that regulate mitochondrial dynamics represents a potential strategy for limiting mosquito-borne diseases. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key cellular energy sensor found in nearly all eukaryotic cells. When activated, AMPK inhibits anabolic pathways that consume ATP and activates catabolic processes that synthesize ATP. In this study, we overexpressed a truncated and constitutively active α-subunit of AMPK under the control of the midgut-specific carboxypeptidase promotor in the midgut of female Anopheles stephensi. As expected, AMPK overexpression in homozygous transgenic mosquitoes was associated with changes in nutrient storage and metabolism, decreasing glycogen levels at 24 h post-blood feeding when transgene expression was maximal, and concurrently increasing circulating trehalose at the same time point. When transgenic lines were challenged with Plasmodium falciparum, we observed a significant decrease in the prevalence and intensity of infection relative to wild type controls. Surprisingly, we did not observe a significant difference in the survival of adult mosquitoes fed either sugar only or both sugar and bloodmeals throughout adult life. This may be due to the limited period that the transgene was activated before homeostasis was restored. However, we did observe a significant decrease in egg production, suggesting that manipulation of AMPK activity in the mosquito midgut resulted in the re-allocation of resources away from egg production. In summary, this work identifies midgut AMPK activity as an important regulator of metabolism, reproduction, and innate immunity in An. stephensi, a highly invasive and important malaria vector species.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eui Jung Moon ◽  
Stephano S. Mello ◽  
Caiyun G. Li ◽  
Jen-Tsan Chi ◽  
Kaushik Thakkar ◽  
...  

AbstractHypoxia plays a critical role in tumor progression including invasion and metastasis. To determine critical genes regulated by hypoxia that promote invasion and metastasis, we screen fifty hypoxia inducible genes for their effects on invasion. In this study, we identify v-maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog F (MAFF) as a potent regulator of tumor invasion without affecting cell viability. MAFF expression is elevated in metastatic breast cancer patients and is specifically correlated with hypoxic tumors. Combined ChIP- and RNA-sequencing identifies IL11 as a direct transcriptional target of the heterodimer between MAFF and BACH1, which leads to activation of STAT3 signaling. Inhibition of IL11 results in similar levels of metastatic suppression as inhibition of MAFF. This study demonstrates the oncogenic role of MAFF as an activator of the IL11/STAT3 pathways in breast cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59
Author(s):  
Selvakumar Subbian

The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has claimed 1.2 million people globally since December 2019. Although the host factors underpinning COVID-19 pathology are not fully understood, type I interferon (IFN-I) response is considered crucial for SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. Perturbations in IFN-I signaling and associated interferon-inducible genes (ISG) are among the primary disease severity indicators in COVID-19. Consequently, IFN-I therapy, either alone or in- combination with existing antiviral or anti-inflammatory drugs, is tested in many ongoing clinical trials to reduce COVID-19 mortality. Since signaling by the IFN-I family of molecules regulates host immune response to other infectious and non-infectious diseases, any imbalance in this family of cytokines would impact the clinical outcome of COVID-19, as well as other co-existing diseases. Therefore, it is imperative to evaluate the beneficial-versus-detrimental effects of IFN-I immunotherapy for COVID-19 patients with divergent disease severity and other co-existing conditions. This review article summarizes the role of IFN-I signaling in infectious and non-infectious diseases of humans. It highlights the precautionary measures to be considered before administering IFN-I to COVID-19 patients having other co-existing disorders. Finally, suggestions are proposed to improve IFN-I immunotherapy to COVID-19.


2011 ◽  
Vol 168 (10) ◽  
pp. 1052-1059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Libik-Konieczny ◽  
Ewa Surówka ◽  
Elżbieta Kuźniak ◽  
Michał Nosek ◽  
Zbigniew Miszalski

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad S. Hoque ◽  
Josette Masle ◽  
Michael K. Udvardi ◽  
Peter R. Ryan ◽  
Narayana M. Upadhyaya

A transgenic approach was undertaken to investigate the role of a rice ammonium transporter (OsAMT1-1) in ammonium uptake and consequent ammonium assimilation under different nitrogen regimes. Transgenic lines overexpressing OsAMT1-1 were produced by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of two rice cultivars, Taipei 309 and Jarrah, with an OsAMT1-1 cDNA gene construct driven by the maize ubiquitin promoter. Transcript levels of OsAMT1-1 in both Taipei 309 and Jarrah transgenic lines correlated positively with transgene copy number. Shoot and root biomass of some transgenic lines decreased during seedling and early vegetative stage compared to the wild type, especially when grown under high (2 mm) ammonium nutrition. Transgenic plants, particularly those of cv. Jarrah recovered in the mid-vegetative stage under high ammonium nutrition. Roots of the transgenic plants showed increased ammonium uptake and ammonium content. We conclude that the decreased biomass of the transgenic lines at early stages of growth might be caused by the accumulation of ammonium in the roots owing to the inability of ammonium assimilation to match the greater ammonium uptake.


Endocrinology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 154 (11) ◽  
pp. 4158-4169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucinda B. Griffin ◽  
Kathleen E. January ◽  
Karen W. Ho ◽  
Kellie A. Cotter ◽  
Gloria V. Callard

Genetically distinct estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes (ERα and ERβ) play a major role in mediating estrogen actions in vertebrates, but their unique and overlapping functions are not entirely clear. Although mammals have 1 gene of each subtype (ESR1 and ESR2), teleost fish have a single esr1 (ERα) and 2 esr2 (ERβa and ERβb) genes. To determine the in vivo role of different ER isoforms in regulating estrogen-inducible transcription targets, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were microinjected with esr-specific morpholino (MO) oligonucleotides to disrupt splicing of the exon III/intron III junction in the DNA-binding domain. Each MO knocked down its respective normal transcript and increased production of variants with a retained intron III (esr1 MO) or a deleted or mis-spliced exon III (esr2a and esr2b MOs). Both esr1 and esr2b MOs blocked estradiol induction of vitellogenin and ERα mRNAs, predominant hepatic genes, but esr2b was the only MO that blocked induction of cytochrome P450 aromatase B mRNA, a predominant brain gene. Knockdown of ERβa with the esr2a MO had no effect on estrogen induction of the 3 mRNAs but, when coinjected with esr1 MO, attenuated the effect of ERα knockdown. Results indicate that ERα and ERβb, acting separately or cooperatively on specific gene targets, are positive transcriptional regulators of estrogen action, but the role of ERβa, if any, is unclear. We conclude that MO technology in zebrafish embryos is an advantageous approach for investigating the interplay of ER subtypes in a true physiological context.


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