Rice sheath blight, caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA, is a major disease in rice-growing areas worldwide. Effectors of phytopathogenic fungi play important roles during the infection process of fungal pathogens ont...Rice sheath blight, caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA, is a major disease in rice-growing areas worldwide. Effectors of phytopathogenic fungi play important roles during the infection process of fungal pathogens onto their host plants. However, the molecular mechanisms by which R. solani effectors regulate rice immunity are not well understood. Through prediction, 78 candidate effector molecules were identified. Using the tobacco rattle virus-host induced gene silencing(TRV-HIGS) system, 45 RNAi constructs of effector genes were infiltrated into Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. The results revealed that eight of these constructs resulted in a significant reduction in necrosis caused by infection with the AG1-IA strain GD-118. Additionally, stable rice transformants carrying the double-stranded RNA construct for one of the effector genes, AGLIP1, were generated to further verify the function of this gene. The suppression of the AGLIP1 gene increased the resistance of both N. benthamiana and rice against GD-118, and also affected the growth rate of GD-118, indicating that AGLIP1 is a key pathogenic factor. Small RNA sequencing showed that the HIGS vectors were processed into si RNAs within the plants and then translocated to the fungi, leading to the silencing of the target genes. As a result, AGLIP1 might be an excellent candidate for HIGS, thereby enhancing crop resistance against the pathogen and contributing to the control of R. solani infection.展开更多
Verticillium wilt(VW),induced by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae(Vd),poses a substantial threat to a diverse array of plant species.Employing molecular breeding technology for the development of cotton vari...Verticillium wilt(VW),induced by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae(Vd),poses a substantial threat to a diverse array of plant species.Employing molecular breeding technology for the development of cotton varieties with heightened resistance to VW stands out as one of the most efficacious protective measures.In this study,we successfully generated two stable transgenic lines of cotton(Gossypium hirsutum L.),VdThitRNAi-1 and VdThit-RNAi-2,using host-induced gene silencing(HIGS)technology to introduce double-stranded RNA(dsRNA)targeting the thiamine transporter protein gene(VdThit).Southern blot analysis confirmed the presence of a single-copy insertion in each line.Microscopic examination showed marked reductions in the colonization and spread of Vd-mCherry in the roots of VdThit-RNAi cotton compared to wild type(WT).The corresponding disease index and fungal biomass of VdThit-RNAi-1/2 also exhibited significant reductions.Real-time quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR)analysis demonstrated a substantial inhibition of VdThit expression following prolonged inoculation of VdThit-RNAi cotton.Small RNA sequencing(sRNA-Seq)analysis revealed the generation of a substantial number of VdThit-specific siRNAs in the VdThit-RNAi transgenic lines.Additionally,the silencing of VdThit by the siVdThit produced by VdThit-RNAi-1/2 resulted in the elevated expression of multiple genes involved in the thiamine biosynthesis pathway in Vd.Under field conditions,VdThit-RNAi transgenic cotton exhibited significantly enhanced disease resistance and yield compared with WT.In summary,our findings underscore the efficacy of HIGS targeting VdThit in restraining the infection and spread of Vd in cotton,thereby potentially enabling the development of cotton breeding as a promising strategy for managing VW.展开更多
The NAC(NAM,ATAF1/2,and CUC2)is a defense-associated transcription factor(TF)family that positively regulates defense responses to pathogen infection.TaNAC069 positively regulates resistance in wheat to Puccinia triti...The NAC(NAM,ATAF1/2,and CUC2)is a defense-associated transcription factor(TF)family that positively regulates defense responses to pathogen infection.TaNAC069 positively regulates resistance in wheat to Puccinia triticina(Pt).However,the molecular mechanism of its interaction with a Pt effector is not clear.We found that Pt effector Pt-1234 interacts with TaNAC069 to subvert host immunity during Pt infection.Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that expression of Pt-1234 was significantly upregulated during the early stage of Pt infection.Protein-mediated cell death assays in wheat showed that the Pt-1234 protein was unable to induce cell death in wheat near-isogenic lines carrying different leaf rust resistance genes,whereas it suppressed BAX-induced cell death in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana.Silencing of Pt-1234 by host-induced gene silencing(HIGS)significantly reduced the virulence of Pt in the susceptible wheat variety Thatcher.The C subdomain of TaNAC069 was responsible for its interaction with Pt-1234,and the E subdomain was required for TaNAC069-mediated defense responses to Pt in planta.These findings indicate that Pt utilizes Pt-1234 to interact with wheat transcription factor TaNAC069 through its C subdomain,thereby modulating wheat immunity.展开更多
Background Verticillium dahliae,a soil-borne fungi,can cause Verticillium wilt,and seriously diminish the yield and quality of cotton.However,the pathogenic mechanism of V.dahliae is complex and not clearly understood...Background Verticillium dahliae,a soil-borne fungi,can cause Verticillium wilt,and seriously diminish the yield and quality of cotton.However,the pathogenic mechanism of V.dahliae is complex and not clearly understood at the moment.This study aimed to identify the high-affinity nicotinic acid transporter genes in V.dahliae.The gene expression profiles in V.dahliae following sensing of root exudates from susceptible and resistant cotton varieties were analyzed.The function of VdNAT1 in the pathogenic process of V.dahliae was studied using the tobacco rattle virus(TRV)-based host-induced gene silencing(HIGS)technique.Results Eight high-affinity nicotinic acid transporter genes were identified from V.dahliae through the bioinformatics method.Each protein contains a conserved major facilitator superfamily(MFS)domain,which belongs to the MFS superfamily.Evolutionary relationship analysis revealed that all 8 genes belong to the anion:cation symporter(ACS)subfamily.All proteins have transmembrane domains,ranging from 7 to 12.The expression levels of most VdNAT genes were significantly increased after induction by root exudates from susceptible cotton varieties.Silencing VdNAT1 gene by HIGS significantly inhibited the accumulation of fungal biomass in cotton plants,and alleviated the disease symptoms of cotton.Conclusions Eight VdNAT genes were identified from V.dahliae,and most VdNAT genes was up-regulated after induced by root exudates from susceptible cotton variety.In addition,VdNAT1 is required for the pathogenicity of V.dahliae.Overall,these findings will facilitate the pathogenic molecular mechanism of V.dahliae and provide candidate genes.展开更多
Puccinia striiformis f.sp.tritici(Pst),a biotrophic plant pathogen,secretes numerous effectors to modulate host defense systems.Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which Pst effectors regulate wheat immunity is ...Puccinia striiformis f.sp.tritici(Pst),a biotrophic plant pathogen,secretes numerous effectors to modulate host defense systems.Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which Pst effectors regulate wheat immunity is of great importance for the development of novel strategies for durable control of stripe rust.In this study,we identified a glycine-serine-rich effector gene,PstGSRE1,which is highly induced dur-ing early infection.Transgenic expression of PstGSRE1 RNAi constructs in wheat significantly reduced virulence of Pst and increased H2O2 accumulation in wheat.PstGSRE1 was shown to target the reactive ox-ygen species(ROS)-associated transcription factor TaLOL2,a positive regulator of wheat immunity.PstGSRE1 disrupted nuclear localization of TaLOL2 and suppressed ROS-mediated cell death induced by TaLOL2,thus compromising host immunity.This work reveals a previously unrecognized strategy whereby rust fungi exploit the PstGSRE1 effector to defeat ROS-associated plant defense by modulating the subcellular compartment of a host immune regulator and facilitate pathogen infection.展开更多
Plants can produce reactive oxygen species(ROS)to counteract pathogen invasion,and pathogens have also evolved corresponding ROS scavenging strategies to promote infection and pathogenicity.Catalases(CATs)have been fo...Plants can produce reactive oxygen species(ROS)to counteract pathogen invasion,and pathogens have also evolved corresponding ROS scavenging strategies to promote infection and pathogenicity.Catalases(CATs)have been found to play pivotal roles in detoxifying H_(2)O_(2)formed by superoxide anion catalyzed by superoxide dismutases(SODs).However,few studies have addressed H_(2)O_(2)removing during rust fungi infection of wheat.In this study,we cloned a CAT gene PsCAT1 from Puccinia striiformis f.sp.tritici(Pst),which encodes a monofunctional heme-containing catalase.PsCAT1 exhibited a high degree of tolerance to pH and temperature,and forms high homopolymers.Heterologous complementation assays in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveal that the signal peptide of PsCAT1 is functional.Overexpression of PsCAT1 enhanced S.cerevisiae resistance to H_(2)O_(2).Transient expression of PsCAT1 in Nicotiana benthamiana suppressed Bax-induced cell death.Knockdown of PsCAT1 using a host-induced gene silencing(HIGS)system led to the reduced virulence of Pst,which was correlated to H_(2)O_(2)accumulation in HIGS plants.These results indicate that PsCAT1 acts as an important pathogenicity factor that facilitates Pst infection by scavenging host-derived H_(2)O_(2).展开更多
基金supported by the Henan Province Science and Technology Research Project, China (Grant No. 242102110232)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31801677)the Major Program of Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research, China (Grant No. 2019B030302006)。
文摘Rice sheath blight, caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA, is a major disease in rice-growing areas worldwide. Effectors of phytopathogenic fungi play important roles during the infection process of fungal pathogens onto their host plants. However, the molecular mechanisms by which R. solani effectors regulate rice immunity are not well understood. Through prediction, 78 candidate effector molecules were identified. Using the tobacco rattle virus-host induced gene silencing(TRV-HIGS) system, 45 RNAi constructs of effector genes were infiltrated into Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. The results revealed that eight of these constructs resulted in a significant reduction in necrosis caused by infection with the AG1-IA strain GD-118. Additionally, stable rice transformants carrying the double-stranded RNA construct for one of the effector genes, AGLIP1, were generated to further verify the function of this gene. The suppression of the AGLIP1 gene increased the resistance of both N. benthamiana and rice against GD-118, and also affected the growth rate of GD-118, indicating that AGLIP1 is a key pathogenic factor. Small RNA sequencing showed that the HIGS vectors were processed into si RNAs within the plants and then translocated to the fungi, leading to the silencing of the target genes. As a result, AGLIP1 might be an excellent candidate for HIGS, thereby enhancing crop resistance against the pathogen and contributing to the control of R. solani infection.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFD1200300)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32072376 and 32372515)+3 种基金Winall Hi-tech Seed Co.,Ltd.,China(GMLM2023)the Nanfan Special Project of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences(CAAS)(ZDXM2303 and YBXM2415)the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province,China(C2022204205)the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of CAAS。
文摘Verticillium wilt(VW),induced by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae(Vd),poses a substantial threat to a diverse array of plant species.Employing molecular breeding technology for the development of cotton varieties with heightened resistance to VW stands out as one of the most efficacious protective measures.In this study,we successfully generated two stable transgenic lines of cotton(Gossypium hirsutum L.),VdThitRNAi-1 and VdThit-RNAi-2,using host-induced gene silencing(HIGS)technology to introduce double-stranded RNA(dsRNA)targeting the thiamine transporter protein gene(VdThit).Southern blot analysis confirmed the presence of a single-copy insertion in each line.Microscopic examination showed marked reductions in the colonization and spread of Vd-mCherry in the roots of VdThit-RNAi cotton compared to wild type(WT).The corresponding disease index and fungal biomass of VdThit-RNAi-1/2 also exhibited significant reductions.Real-time quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR)analysis demonstrated a substantial inhibition of VdThit expression following prolonged inoculation of VdThit-RNAi cotton.Small RNA sequencing(sRNA-Seq)analysis revealed the generation of a substantial number of VdThit-specific siRNAs in the VdThit-RNAi transgenic lines.Additionally,the silencing of VdThit by the siVdThit produced by VdThit-RNAi-1/2 resulted in the elevated expression of multiple genes involved in the thiamine biosynthesis pathway in Vd.Under field conditions,VdThit-RNAi transgenic cotton exhibited significantly enhanced disease resistance and yield compared with WT.In summary,our findings underscore the efficacy of HIGS targeting VdThit in restraining the infection and spread of Vd in cotton,thereby potentially enabling the development of cotton breeding as a promising strategy for managing VW.
基金funded by State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation(NCCIR2023ZZ-10)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32172384 and 31501623)+1 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei(C2020204028)the Science and Technology Research Project of Higher Education of Hebei(ZC2023178).
文摘The NAC(NAM,ATAF1/2,and CUC2)is a defense-associated transcription factor(TF)family that positively regulates defense responses to pathogen infection.TaNAC069 positively regulates resistance in wheat to Puccinia triticina(Pt).However,the molecular mechanism of its interaction with a Pt effector is not clear.We found that Pt effector Pt-1234 interacts with TaNAC069 to subvert host immunity during Pt infection.Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that expression of Pt-1234 was significantly upregulated during the early stage of Pt infection.Protein-mediated cell death assays in wheat showed that the Pt-1234 protein was unable to induce cell death in wheat near-isogenic lines carrying different leaf rust resistance genes,whereas it suppressed BAX-induced cell death in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana.Silencing of Pt-1234 by host-induced gene silencing(HIGS)significantly reduced the virulence of Pt in the susceptible wheat variety Thatcher.The C subdomain of TaNAC069 was responsible for its interaction with Pt-1234,and the E subdomain was required for TaNAC069-mediated defense responses to Pt in planta.These findings indicate that Pt utilizes Pt-1234 to interact with wheat transcription factor TaNAC069 through its C subdomain,thereby modulating wheat immunity.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32160615).
文摘Background Verticillium dahliae,a soil-borne fungi,can cause Verticillium wilt,and seriously diminish the yield and quality of cotton.However,the pathogenic mechanism of V.dahliae is complex and not clearly understood at the moment.This study aimed to identify the high-affinity nicotinic acid transporter genes in V.dahliae.The gene expression profiles in V.dahliae following sensing of root exudates from susceptible and resistant cotton varieties were analyzed.The function of VdNAT1 in the pathogenic process of V.dahliae was studied using the tobacco rattle virus(TRV)-based host-induced gene silencing(HIGS)technique.Results Eight high-affinity nicotinic acid transporter genes were identified from V.dahliae through the bioinformatics method.Each protein contains a conserved major facilitator superfamily(MFS)domain,which belongs to the MFS superfamily.Evolutionary relationship analysis revealed that all 8 genes belong to the anion:cation symporter(ACS)subfamily.All proteins have transmembrane domains,ranging from 7 to 12.The expression levels of most VdNAT genes were significantly increased after induction by root exudates from susceptible cotton varieties.Silencing VdNAT1 gene by HIGS significantly inhibited the accumulation of fungal biomass in cotton plants,and alleviated the disease symptoms of cotton.Conclusions Eight VdNAT genes were identified from V.dahliae,and most VdNAT genes was up-regulated after induced by root exudates from susceptible cotton variety.In addition,VdNAT1 is required for the pathogenicity of V.dahliae.Overall,these findings will facilitate the pathogenic molecular mechanism of V.dahliae and provide candidate genes.
基金This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31972224,31430069,and 31620103913)the National Key R&D Program of China(2018YFD0200402)the 111 Project from the Ministry of Education of China(no.B07049).
文摘Puccinia striiformis f.sp.tritici(Pst),a biotrophic plant pathogen,secretes numerous effectors to modulate host defense systems.Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which Pst effectors regulate wheat immunity is of great importance for the development of novel strategies for durable control of stripe rust.In this study,we identified a glycine-serine-rich effector gene,PstGSRE1,which is highly induced dur-ing early infection.Transgenic expression of PstGSRE1 RNAi constructs in wheat significantly reduced virulence of Pst and increased H2O2 accumulation in wheat.PstGSRE1 was shown to target the reactive ox-ygen species(ROS)-associated transcription factor TaLOL2,a positive regulator of wheat immunity.PstGSRE1 disrupted nuclear localization of TaLOL2 and suppressed ROS-mediated cell death induced by TaLOL2,thus compromising host immunity.This work reveals a previously unrecognized strategy whereby rust fungi exploit the PstGSRE1 effector to defeat ROS-associated plant defense by modulating the subcellular compartment of a host immune regulator and facilitate pathogen infection.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31620103913 and U2003118)Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China(2020JZ-12),National“111 plan”(BP0719026)and Shaanxi Innovation Team Project(2018TD-004).
文摘Plants can produce reactive oxygen species(ROS)to counteract pathogen invasion,and pathogens have also evolved corresponding ROS scavenging strategies to promote infection and pathogenicity.Catalases(CATs)have been found to play pivotal roles in detoxifying H_(2)O_(2)formed by superoxide anion catalyzed by superoxide dismutases(SODs).However,few studies have addressed H_(2)O_(2)removing during rust fungi infection of wheat.In this study,we cloned a CAT gene PsCAT1 from Puccinia striiformis f.sp.tritici(Pst),which encodes a monofunctional heme-containing catalase.PsCAT1 exhibited a high degree of tolerance to pH and temperature,and forms high homopolymers.Heterologous complementation assays in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveal that the signal peptide of PsCAT1 is functional.Overexpression of PsCAT1 enhanced S.cerevisiae resistance to H_(2)O_(2).Transient expression of PsCAT1 in Nicotiana benthamiana suppressed Bax-induced cell death.Knockdown of PsCAT1 using a host-induced gene silencing(HIGS)system led to the reduced virulence of Pst,which was correlated to H_(2)O_(2)accumulation in HIGS plants.These results indicate that PsCAT1 acts as an important pathogenicity factor that facilitates Pst infection by scavenging host-derived H_(2)O_(2).
