Sequence and expression of a wheat gene that encodes a novel protein associated with pathogen defense.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) exhibits local acquired resistance to the powdery mildew pathogen Erysiphe graminis f. sp. tritici. The resistant state can be induced by a preinoculation with the nonhost pathogen E. g.f. sp. hordei, the barley powdery mildew, and is accompanied by the activation of putative defense genes. Here, we report the sequence of a pathogen-induced gene, WIR1a, and a corresponding cDNA, WIR1, that encode novel defense-related proteins of 88 and 85 amino acids, respectively. Analysis of the primary structure of these proteins predicts them to be integral membrane proteins with extracytoplasmic C-terminal domains rich in proline and glycine, through which the proteins possibly interact with the cell wall.     

小麦叶绿体信号识别颗粒54基因的克隆与分析

根据LWSRC336(GenBank登录号为EV254029)的cDNA序列设计引物,从受条锈菌(Puccinia striifor-misf.sp.tritici)诱导的小麦幼叶中提取总RNA,采用RACE与RT-PCR相结合的技术对该基因克隆.测序结果表明,扩增片段长度为1 725 bp,其中包含一个编码481个氨基酸的开放阅读框,与水稻的叶绿体信号识别颗粒54蛋白高度同源.实时荧光定量PCR分析结果显示,该基因在受条锈菌诱导下,在亲和组合中表达趋势明显下调,而在非亲合组合中的表达在24 h之前呈下降趋势,到24 h最低,在72 h又恢复到正常水平,随后又下降.推测条锈菌侵染小麦后,影响了叶绿体蛋白的运输,进而影响了小麦的光合作用.     

Stable expression of a defense-related gene in wheat epidermis under transcriptional control of a novel promoter confers pathogen resistance

Tissue-specific or regulated expression of transgenes is desirable in order to prevent pleiotropic side effects of putatively harmful transgene products as well as loss of energy resources due to unnecessary accumulation of transgene products. Epidermis-specific expression would be useful for many defense-related genes directed against attack by fungal pathogens that enter the plant body by direct penetration through the epidermis. In an approach to enhance resistance of wheat to the powdery mildew fungus Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici, a novel epidermis-specific promoter was developed and used for expression of two defense-related genes. A 2.3 kb fragment of the wheat GstA1 promoter in combination with an intron-containing part of the wheat WIR1a gene was found to drive strong and constitutive transient expression in wheat epidermis. This promoter-intron combination was used for overexpression of oxalate oxidase 9f-2.8 and TaPERO peroxidase, two defense-related wheat genes expressed in inner leaf tissues. Expression studies of several transgenic lines by in situ oxalate-oxidase staining, RNA and protein blot analyses, as well as real-time PCR, demonstrated strong and constitutive transgene expression in the shoot epidermis. Transient as well as stable over-expression of the TaPERO peroxidase gene in wheat epidermis under the control of the GstA1i promoter resulted in enhanced resistance against Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici, whereas oxalate-oxidase overexpression had no effect in either system. The data suggest that the wheat GstA1 promoter in combination with the WIR1a intron is useful for transgenic approaches to fungal disease resistance in cereals.     

Sequence variation in the CYP51 gene of Blumeria graminis associated with resistance to sterol demethylase inhibiting fungicides

Resistance to sterol 14alpha-demethylase inhibiting fungicides (DMIs) has been correlated with mutations in the CYP51 gene, which encodes the target enzyme eburicol 14alpha-demethylase. To test the hypothesis that variation in the CYP51 gene explains variation for DMI sensitivity in barley and wheat powdery mildew species, this gene was sequenced from isolates of Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei (Bgh) and f.sp. tritici (Bgt), respectively, which differed in their responses to DMIs in agricultural populations in the UK. Two single-nucleotide mutations in the CYP51 gene, which resulted in the amino acid substitutions Y136F and K147Q, were detected. K147Q is a novel mutation present only in Bgh isolates expressing very high levels of resistance. Sequence analysis of the CYP51 gene from the progeny of a cross between DMI-sensitive and resistant Bgh isolates showed that both mutations segregate with resistance, which is consistent with CYP51 controlling a major portion of DMI resistance. However, genetic analysis of resistance to the DMI triadimenol indicates that mutation of the CYP51 gene is not the only mechanism of resistance operating in B. graminis.     

Conservation of the b mating-type gene complex among bipolar and tetrapolar smut fungi.

In the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago hordei, one locus with two alternate alleles, MAT-1 and MAT-2, controls mating and the establishment of the infectious dikaryon (bipolar mating). In contrast, for U. maydis, these functions are associated with two different gene complexes, called a and b (tetrapolar mating); the a complex has two alternate specificities, and the b gene complex is multiallelic. We have found homologs for the b gene complex in U. hordei and have cloned one from each mating type using sequences from one bEast allele of U. maydis as a probe. Sequence analysis revealed two divergent open reading frames in each b complex, which we called bW (bWest) and bE (bEast) in analogy with the b gene complex of U. maydis. The predicted bW and bE gene products from the two different mating types showed approximately 75% identity when homologous polypeptides were compared. All of the characterized bW and bE gene products have variable amino-terminal regions, conserved carboxy-terminal regions, and similar homeodomain motifs. Sequence comparisons with the bW1 and bE1 genes of U. maydis showed conservation in organization and structure. Transformation of the U. hordei b gene complex into a U. hordei strain of opposite mating type showed that the b genes from the two mating types are functional alleles. The U. hordei b genes, when introduced into U. maydis, rendered the haploid transformants weakly pathogenic on maize. These results indicate that structurally and functionally conserved b genes are present in U. hordei.     

Signal Molecules Inducing Systemic Resistance and Susceptibility in Barley Seedlings

Exudate collected from the cut end of barley seedlings exhibited both activities that induced systemic resistance and susceptibility against Erysiphe graminis f. sp. hordei race Hh4 depending on the time after pruning. Exudates collected between 3–6 h after pruning showed maximum activity that induced systemic resistance, whereas those during 9–12 h conversely induced susceptibility in barley seedlings. The accumulation of antifungal substances in barley leaves correlates to the timing, of induced resistance. The antifuntingal substances were watersoluble and severely affected the infection of E. graminis f. sp. hordei.     

Resistance gene analogs within an introgressed chromosomal segment derived from Triticum ventricosum that confers resistance to nematode and rust pathogens in wheat

A resistance (R) gene-rich 2S chromosomal segment from Triticum ventricosum contains a cereal cyst nematode (CCN; Heterodera avenae) R gene locus CreX and a closely linked group of genes (Sr38, Yr17, and Lr37) that confer resistance to stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici), stripe rust (P. striiformis f. sp. tritici), and leaf rust (P. recondita f. sp. tritici) when introgressed into wheat. The 2S chromosomal segment from T. ventricosum is further delineated in translocations onto chromosome 2A of bread wheat, where the rust genes are retained but not the CreX gene. Using these critical genetic stocks, we have isolated family members of R gene analogs that are associated with either the 2S segment from T. ventricosum carrying the CreX locus or the rust genes. Derivatives of the Cre3 candidate R gene sequence and a rice (Oryza sativa) R gene analog that mapped to the 2S homologous chromosome groups in wheat were used to isolate related gene sequences from T. ventricosum that contain a nucleotide binding site-leucine rich repeat domain. The potential of these gene sequences as entry points for isolating candidate genes or gene family members of the CreX or rust genes and their further applications to plant breeding are discussed.     

Protein polyubiquitination plays a role in basal host resistance of barley

To study protein ubiquitination pathways in the interaction of barley (Hordeum vulgare) with the powdery mildew fungus (Blumeria graminis), we measured protein turnover and performed transient-induced gene silencing (TIGS) of ubiquitin and 26S proteasome subunit encoding genes in epidermal cells. Attack by B. graminis hyperdestabilized a novel unstable green fluorescent protein fusion that contains a destabilization domain of a putative barley 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase, suggesting enhanced protein turnover. Partial depletion of cellular ubiquitin levels by TIGS induced extreme susceptibility of transformed cells toward the appropriate host pathogen B. graminis f. sp hordei, whereas papilla-based resistance to the nonhost pathogen B. graminis f. sp tritici and host resistance mediated by the mlo gene (for mildew resistance locus O) remained unaffected. Cells were rescued from TIGS-induced ubiquitin depletion by synthetic genes encoding wild-type or mutant barley monoubiquitin proteins. The strongest rescue was from a gene encoding a K63R mutant form of ubiquitin blocked in several ubiquitination pathways while still allowing Lys-48-dependent polyubiquitination required for proteasomal protein degradation. Systematic RNA interference of 40 genes encoding all 17 subunits of the proteasome 19S regulatory particle failed to induce hypersusceptibility against B. graminis f. sp hordei. This suggests a role for Lys-48-linked protein polyubiquitination, which is independent from the proteasome pathway, in basal host defense of barley.     

Correlation Between Induced Resistance and Host Fluorescence in Barley Inoculated with Erysiphe graminis

Resistance was induced in barley by virulent and avirulent Erysiphe graminis f. sp. hordei and by E. graminis f. sp. tritici. The diameters of fluorescent haloes and papillae at the site of the primary germ tube of the inducers were larger until 12 hours after inoculation with E g. f. sp. tritici than in the corresponding periods after inoculation with E. g. f. sp. hordei. Fluorescence at the site of appressorial lobes of the inducers developed, gradually from 10 and 12 hours after inoculation with E. g. f. sp. hordei and E. g. f. sp. tritici, respectively. Penetration success of single infection units of the challenger was reduced in cells with inducer fluorescence, suggesting that resistance is principally localized to cells previously attacked by the inducer. But penetration success was independent of the average distance to the ten nearest inducer fluorescences, and penetration failures did also occur in cells without inducer fluorescence, suggesting that the induced resistance to some extent is translocated to other epidermal cells. The average diameter of the fluorescent papillae at the site of unsuccessful challenger infection units increased as a result of induced resistance.     

一个小麦丝氨酸-苏氨酸蛋白激酶基因的克隆和分析

用mRNA差异显示技术在含有抗白粉病基因Pm21的小麦(Tri ticum aestivum L.) -簇毛麦(Haynaldia villosa) 6VS /6AL易位系92R137中分离与抗白粉病相关的基因,获得一个命名为TaPK1的全长cDNA克隆.序列分析表明,它与大豆(Glycine max (L.) Merr.)蛋白激酶基因GmPK6高度同源.经推测,TaPK1 编码416个氨基酸的多肽,属丝氨酸-苏氨酸蛋白激酶家族,并具酪氨酸激酶特性.TaPK1是从小麦中分离的新基因.     

一个小麦丝氨酸—苏氨酸蛋白激酶基因的克隆和分析

用mRNA差异显示技术在含有抗白粉病基因Pm2 1的小麦 (TriticumaestivumL .)_簇毛麦 (Haynaldiavillosa)6VS/ 6AL易位系 92R137中分离与抗白粉病相关的基因 ,获得一个命名为TaPK1的全长cDNA克隆。序列分析表明 ,它与大豆 (Glycinemax (L .)Merr.)蛋白激酶基因GmPK6高度同源。经推测 ,TaPK1编码 416个氨基酸的多肽 ,属丝氨酸_苏氨酸蛋白激酶家族 ,并具酪氨酸激酶特性。TaPK1是从小麦中分离的新基因。