Abstract
To search for genes involved in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) defense response to the infection of stripe rust pathogen Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), we identified and cloned a new wheat gene similar to the genes in the Abc1-like gene family. The new gene, designated as TaAbc1, encodes a 717-amino acid, 80.35 kD protein. The TaAbc1 protein contains two conserved domains shared by Abc1-like proteins, two trans-membrane domains at the C-terminal, and a 36-amino acid chloroplast targeting presequence at the N-terminal. Characterization of TaAbc1 expression revealed that gene expression was tissue-specific and could be up-regulated by biotic agents (e.g., stripe rust pathogen) and/or by an abiotic stress like wounding. High-fold induction was associated with the hypersensitive response (HR) triggered only by avirulent stripe rust pathotypes, suggesting that TaAbc1 is a rust-pathotype specific HR-mediator. Down-regulating TaAbc1 reduced HR but not the overall resistance level in Suwon11 to CYR23, suggesting TaAbc1 was involved in HR against stripe rust, but overall host resistance is not HR-dependent.
Highlights
Plant hypersensitive response (HR), visualized as rapid death of host plant cells at the infection sites, is a means of plant defense response to microbial pathogens [1,2,3,4]
Suwon11 infected with a virulent Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) pathotype CYR31 [15], we selected an EST clone for further characterization in this study due to its strong up-regulated expression in the incompatible interaction of Suwon 11 infected with Pst pathotype CYR23
The clone contains a 597-bp cDNA fragment that is highly homologous to the Abc1 like gene family in rice (Oryza sativa)
Summary
Plant hypersensitive response (HR), visualized as rapid death of host plant cells at the infection sites, is a means of plant defense response to microbial pathogens [1,2,3,4]. This process is under intrinsic fine genetic control similar to the programmed cell death (PCD) in animal cells. HR is triggered by incompatible interactions of host plants and corresponding pathogens. Plant HR may deplete nutrient supply and effectively restrict pathogen growth, especially for biotrophs that only survive and reproduce on living cells. Accompanying rapid cell death, a set of defense responses including cell wall reinforcement, accumulation of reactive oxygen intermediates, antimicrobial compounds and pathogenesis-related proteins is observed
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