Thirty-seven transcription factor genes differentially respond to a harpin protein and affect resistance to the green peach aphid in Arabidopsis.
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Date
2010-09
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Abstract
The harpin protein HrpN
Ea
induces Arabidopsis resistance to the green peach aphid by activating the ethylene signalling
pathway and by recruiting EIN2, an essential regulator of ethylene signalling, for a defence response in the plant. We
investigated 37 ethylene-inducible Arabidopsis transcription factor genes for their effects on the activation of ethylene
signalling and insect defence. Twenty-eight of the 37 genes responded to both ethylene and HrpN
Ea
, and showed either
increased or inhibited transcription, while 18 genes showed increased transcription not only by ethylene but also by
HrpN
Ea
. In response to HrpN
Ea
, transcription levels of 22 genes increased, with AtMYB44 being the most inducible, six
genes had decreased transcript levels, and nine remained unchanged. When Arabidopsis mutants previously generated
by mutagenicity at the 37 genes were surveyed, 24 mutants were similar to the wild type plant while four mutants were
more resistant and nine mutants were more susceptible than wild type to aphid infestation. Aphid-susceptible mutants
showed a greater susceptibility for atmyb15, atmyb38 and atmyb44, which were generated previously by T-DNA
insertion into the exon region of AtMYB15 and the promoter regions of AtMYB38 and AtMYB44. The atmyb44 mutant
was the most susceptible to aphid infestation and most compromised in induced resistance. Resistance accompanied
the expression of PDF1.2, an ethylene signalling marker gene that requires EIN2 for transcription in wild type but
not in atmyb15, atmyb38, and atmyb44, suggesting a disruption of ethylene signalling in the mutants. However, only
atmyb44 incurred an abrogation in induced EIN2 expression, suggesting a close relationship between AtMYB44 and
EIN2.
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Liu Ruoxue, Lü Beibei, Wang Xiaomeng, Zhang Chunling, Zhang Shuping, Qian Jun, Chen Lei, Shi Haojie, Dong Hansong. Thirty-seven transcription factor genes differentially respond to a harpin protein and affect resistance to the green peach aphid in Arabidopsis. Journal of Biosciences. 2010 Sep; 35(3): 435-450.