TaLHY, a 1R-MYB Transcription Factor, Plays an Important Role in Disease Resistance against Stripe Rust Fungus and Ear Heading in Wheat

PLoS One. 2015 May 26;10(5):e0127723. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127723. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

LHY (late elongated hypocotyl) is an important gene that regulates and controls biological rhythms in plants. Additionally, LHY is highly expressed in the SSH (suppression subtractive hybridization) cDNA library-induced stripe rust pathogen (CYR32) in our previous research. To identify the function of the LHY gene in disease resistance against stripe rust, we used RACE-PCR technology to clone TaLHY in the wheat variety Chuannong19. The cDNA of TaLHY is 3085 bp long with an open reading frame of 1947 bp. TaLHY is speculated to encode a 70.3 kDa protein of 648 amino acids , which has one typical plant MYB-DNA binding domain; additionally, phylogenetic tree shows that TaLHY has the highest homology with LHY of Brachypodium distachyon(BdLHY-like). Quantitative fluorescence PCR indicates that TaLHY has higher expression in the leaf, ear and stem of wheat but lower expression in the root. Infestation of CYR32 can result in up-regulated expression of TaLHY, peaking at 72 h. Using VIGS (virus-induced gene silencing) technology to disease-resistant wheat in the fourth leaf stage, plants with silenced TaLHY cannot complete their heading stage. Through the compatible interaction with the stripe rust physiological race CYR32, Chuannong 19 loses its immune capability toward the stripe rust pathogen, indicating that TaLHY may regulate and participate in the heading of wheat, as well as the defense responses against stripe rust infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Basidiomycota*
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Cluster Analysis
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • DNA, Complementary / genetics
  • Disease Resistance / genetics*
  • Fluorescence
  • Gene Silencing
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • Plant Components, Aerial / metabolism
  • Plant Diseases / microbiology*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Sequence Homology
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Triticum / genetics*
  • Triticum / microbiology

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Transcription Factors

Grants and funding

HYZ received support from National Natural Scinece Funcdation of China (No.31171557). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.