Abstract
A carboxylesterase (CXE) or carboxylic-ester hydrolase is an enzyme that catalyzes carboxylic ester and water into alcohol and carboxylate. In plants, CXEs have been implicated in defense, development, and secondary metabolism. We discovered a new CXE gene in Nicotiana benthamiana that is related to virus resistance. The transcriptional level of NbCXE expression was significantly increased after Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection. Transient over-expression of NbCXE inhibited TMV accumulation in N. benthamiana plants. Conversely, when the NbCXE gene was silenced with a Tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-based gene silencing system, TMV RNA accumulation was increased in NbCXE-silenced plants after infection. NbCXE protein was shown to interact with TMV coat protein (CP) in vitro. Additionally, the expressions of host defense-related genes were increased in transient NbCXE-overexpressed plants but decreased in NbCXE silenced N. benthamiana plants. In summary, our study showed that NbCXE is a novel resistance-related gene involved in host defense responses against TMV infection.
Highlights
Carboxylesterases (CXEs) are found in all kingdoms of life
The DESCA5 sequence was registered in the NCBI database as “DESCA5 cDNA-AFLP Chenopodium amaranticolor cDNA EcoRI, mRNA sequence” with a GenBank accession number of BI534451.1
In order to ascertain whether this NbCXE is a plant resistance-related protein, amino acid sequences of the amplified
Summary
Carboxylesterases (CXEs) are found in all kingdoms of life. Many CXEs have been cloned and characterized [2,3,4]. They are involved in a broad range of functions, including processing and degradation of neurotransmitters, hormones, and xenobiotics [5,6]. Carboxylesterases (CXEs) are widely distributed in plants. They are expressed in many tissues, including fruits, leaves, and roots [7,8,9]. Some plant CXEs have developed new activities. A putative CXE has lost carboxylesterase activity and functions as a receptor for gibberellic acid [15]
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