Downy Mildew Resistance in Arabidopsis by Mutation of HOMOSERINE KINASE

Plant disease resistance is commonly triggered by early pathogen recognition and activation of immunity. An alternative form of resistance is mediated by recessive downy mildew resistant 1 (dmr1) alleles in Arabidopsis thaliana. Map-based cloning revealed that DMR1 encodes homoserine kinase (HSK). Six independent dmr1 mutants each carry a different amino acid substitution in the HSK protein. Amino acid analysis revealed that dmr1 mutants contain high levels of homoserine that is undetectable in wild-type plants. Surprisingly, the level of amino acids downstream in the aspartate (Asp) pathway was not reduced in dmr1 mutants. Exogenous homoserine does not directly affect pathogen growth but induces resistance when infiltrated in Arabidopsis. We provide evidence that homoserine accumulation in the chloroplast triggers a novel form of downy mildew resistance that is independent of known immune responses.     

HPat a Decapping Activator Interacting with the miRNA Effector Complex

Animal miRNAs commonly mediate mRNA degradation and/or translational repression by binding to their target mRNAs. Key factors for miRNA-mediated mRNA degradation are the components of the miRNA effector complex (AGO1 and GW182) and the general mRNA degradation machinery (deadenylation and decapping enzymes). The CCR4-NOT1 complex required for the deadenylation of target mRNAs is directly recruited to the miRNA effector complex. However, it is unclear whether the following decapping step is only a consequence of deadenylation occurring independent of the miRNA effector complex or e.g. decapping activators can get recruited to the miRNA effector complex. In this study we performed split-affinity purifications in Drosophila cells and provide evidence for the interaction of the decapping activator HPat with the miRNA effector complex. Furthermore, in knockdown analysis of various mRNA degradation factors we demonstrate the importance of NOT1 for this interaction. This suggests that deadenylation and/or the recruitment of NOT1 protein precedes the association of HPat with the miRNA effector complex. Since HPat couples deadenylation and decapping, the recruitment of HPat to the miRNA effector complex provides a mechanism to commit the mRNA target for degradation.     

Plant Immunity: A Complex Interface between Host and Pathogen

Transgenic Research -     

水杨酸诱导小白菜抗霜霉病的作用研究

以小白菜(Brassica campestris ssp.chinesis L.)为材料,采用叶面喷洒的方法施用不同浓度水杨酸(Salicylic acid,SA),研究了SA小白菜对霜霉病的抗性诱导,并对经SA诱导后小白菜植株体内相关酶活性进行了研究.结果发现,在0.2～2.0 mmol·L-1的浓度范围内,随着SA浓度的增加,SA的诱导防治效果先增后减,1.0 mmol·L-1浓度为诱导抗性最适浓度.经SA诱导后,小白菜植株体内SOD、POD和PPO等酶活性也明显增强.     

A Study on the Overwintering of Cucumber Downy Mildew Oospores in China

Oospore formation of Pseudoperonospora cubensis was investigated in 10 Chinese locations: Mohe, Harbin, Changchun, Shenyang, Beijing, Liaocheng, Yinchuan, Xining, Yangling and Haikou. Oospores were observed in all but Haikou. Oospore viability was monitored from 10 January to 10 July 2009, in Harbin. Percentages of activated oospores increased from 10 April with a peak in late May (14.0% on 25 May 2009), and then decreased. This is in accordance with the usual time of downy mildew appearance in Harbin, 20–30 May. Inoculation tests using the oospores overwintered in Harbin, whether in the greenhouse or outdoors, showed that these were viable, with a disease occurrence of 26.6–95.0%. Oospores overwintering locally could be primary infection sources of downy mildew in cool temperate northern China.     

Immunomodulation by the Pseudomonas syringae HopZ Type III Effector Family in Arabidopsis

Pseudomonas syringae employs a type III secretion system to inject 20–30 different type III effector (T3SE) proteins into plant host cells. A major role of T3SEs is to suppress plant immune responses and promote bacterial infection. The YopJ/HopZ acetyltransferases are a superfamily of T3SEs found in both plant and animal pathogenic bacteria. In P. syringae, this superfamily includes the evolutionarily diverse HopZ1, HopZ2 and HopZ3 alleles. To investigate the roles of the HopZ family in immunomodulation, we generated dexamethasone-inducible T3SE transgenic lines of Arabidopsis for HopZ family members and characterized them for immune suppression phenotypes. We show that all of the HopZ family members can actively suppress various facets of Arabidopsis immunity in a catalytic residue-dependent manner. HopZ family members can differentially suppress the activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascades or the production of reactive oxygen species, whereas all members can promote the growth of non-virulent P. syringae. Localization studies show that four of the HopZ family members containing predicted myristoylation sites are localized to the vicinity of the plasma membrane while HopZ3 which lacks the myristoylation site is at least partially nuclear localized, suggesting diversification of immunosuppressive mechanisms. Overall, we demonstrate that despite significant evolutionary diversification, all HopZ family members can suppress immunity in Arabidopsis.     

Virulence Frequencies Influenced by Host Resistance in the Host-Pathogen System Wheat-Powdery Mildew

The virulence spectrum for different regions in Germany in 1986 shows that only virulences for resistance genes Pm1, 4a, 7, 8 and Ml-i are common in Northern Germany; in the Southern part only Pm3b and 9 (+Pm1+ 2) remain effective; the combination Pm2 + 6 is effective within the whole country. The selection pressure of resistance genes on virulences is complex, but was relatively stable under different environmental conditions in 1985 and 1986.     

APOBEC家族:介导天然抗病毒免疫的新型宿主细胞因子

天然免疫在机体抵御病毒感染的过程中发挥着重要的功能。近年来,一些介导天然免疫的新型宿主细胞因子陆续被发现,其中APOBEC家族(apolipoprotein B mRNA editingenzyme-catalytic polypeptide family,载脂蛋白B mRNA编辑酶催化多肽家族)作为一种具有独特抗病毒机制的蛋白质分子     

Salicylic Acid and a Chitin Elicitor Both Control Expression of the CAD1 Gene Involved in the Plant Immunity of Arabidopsis

The Arabidopsis mutant cad1 (constitutively activated cell death 1) shows a phenotype that mimics hypersensitive response (HR)-like cell death. The CAD1 gene, which encodes a protein containing a domain with significant homology to the MACPF (membrane attach complex and perforin) domain of complement components and perforin, is likely to control plant immunity negatively and has a W-box cis-element in its promoter region. We found that expression of the CAD1 gene and other W-box containing genes, such as NPR1 and PR2, was promoted by salicylic acid (SA) and benzothiadiazole (BTH) as a SA agonist. The CAD1 gene was also stimulated by a purified chitin oligosaccharide elicitor (degree of polymerization = 8). This latter control was not under SA, because CAD1 expression was not suppressed in 35SnahG transgenic plants, which are unable to accumulate SA. These expression profiles were confirmed by promoter analysis using pCAD1::GUS transgenic plants. The CAD1 expression promoted by BTH and the chitin elicitor was not suppressed in the npr1 mutant, which is insensitive to SA signaling. These results indicate that the CAD1 gene is regulated by two distinct pathways involving SA and a chitin elicitor: viz., SA signaling mediated through an NPR1-independent pathway, and chitin elicitor signaling, through an SA-independent pathway. Three CAD1 homologs that have multiple W-box elements in their promoters were also found to be under the control of SA.