Abstract
BackgroundMetabolic pathways are interconnected and yet relatively independent. Genes involved in metabolic modules are required for the modules to run. Study of the relationships between genes and metabolic modules improves the understanding of metabolic pathways in plants. The WIN transcription factor activates the cuticle biosynthesis pathway and promotes cuticle biosynthesis. The relationship between the WIN transcription factor and other metabolic pathways is unknown. Our aim was to determine the relationships between the main genes involved in cuticle biosynthesis and those involved in other metabolic pathways. We did this by cloning a cotton WIN gene, GhWIN2, and studying its influence on other pathways.ResultsAs with other WIN genes, GhWIN2 regulated expression of cuticle biosynthesis-related genes, and promoted cuticle formation. Silencing of GhWIN2 resulted in enhanced resistance to Verticillium dahliae, caused by increased content of salicylic acid (SA). Moreover, silencing of GhWIN2 suppressed expression of jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis-related genes and content. GhWIN2 positively regulated the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway upstream of the JA biosynthesis pathway. Silencing of GhWIN2 reduced the content of stearic acid, a JA biosynthesis precursor.ConclusionsGhWIN2 not only regulated the cuticle biosynthesis pathway, but also positively influenced JA biosynthesis and negatively influenced SA biosynthesis.
Highlights
Metabolic pathways are interconnected and yet relatively independent
abscisic acid (ABA) regulates the expression of cuticle biosynthesis genes mediated by GhWIN2 We found that exogenous ABA strongly induced the expression of GhWIN2 (Fig. 1c)
We found that GhWIN2 belongs to the WIN protein family; first, it is localized at the nucleus (Fig. 1b); second, its overexpression in Arabidopsis increased the amount of wax crystals on the stem and thickness of abaxial cuticle in the leaf (Fig. 2c, d, and e); third, it transcriptionally regulated the expression of cuticle-related genes (Fig. 2a and b; Fig. 3)
Summary
Metabolic pathways are interconnected and yet relatively independent. Genes involved in metabolic modules are required for the modules to run. The relationship between the WIN transcription factor and other metabolic pathways is unknown. Our aim was to determine the relationships between the main genes involved in cuticle biosynthesis and those involved in other metabolic pathways. We did this by cloning a cotton WIN gene, GhWIN2, and studying its influence on other pathways. The cutin matrix consists mainly of esterified 16/18-carbon hydroxy and epoxy-hydroxy fatty acids (FAs) [4]. The waxes are formed by very-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) derivatives [5], and they cover or are embedded in the cutin matrix. The FAs are extended from C16/C18-acyl-CoAs to VLCFA-acyl-CoAs (>C18, with more than 18 C atoms), catalyzed by fatty acid elongases (FAEs) on the endoplasmic reticulum membrane [7]. FAE enzyme complexes consist of β-ketoacylCoA synthase (KCS), β-ketoacyl-CoA reductase (KCR), 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydratase (HCD), and enoyl-CoA
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