Identification of CkSNAP33, a gene encoding synaptosomal-associated protein from Cynanchum komarovii, that enhances Arabidopsis resistance to Verticillium dahliae

PLoS One. 2017 Jun 2;12(6):e0178101. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178101. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

SNARE proteins are essential to vesicle trafficking and membrane fusion in eukaryotic cells. In addition, the SNARE-mediated secretory pathway can deliver diverse defense products to infection sites during exocytosis-associated immune responses in plants. In this study, a novel gene (CkSNAP33) encoding a synaptosomal-associated protein was isolated from Cynanchum komarovii and characterized. CkSNAP33 contains Qb- and Qc-SNARE domains in the N- and C-terminal regions, respectively, and shares high sequence identity with AtSNAP33 from Arabidopsis. CkSNAP33 expression was induced by H2O2, salicylic acid (SA), Verticillium dahliae, and wounding. Arabidopsis lines overexpressing CkSNAP33 had longer primary roots and larger seedlings than the wild type (WT). Transgenic Arabidopsis lines showed significantly enhanced resistance to V. dahliae, and displayed reductions in disease index and fungal biomass, and also showed elevated expression of PR1 and PR5. The leaves of transgenic plants infected with V. dahliae showed strong callose deposition and cell death that hindered the penetration and spread of the fungus at the infection site. Taken together, these results suggest that CkSNAP33 is involved in the defense response against V. dahliae and enhanced disease resistance in Arabidopsis.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Arabidopsis / chemistry
  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis / microbiology*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / chemistry
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics*
  • Cynanchum / chemistry
  • Cynanchum / genetics*
  • Cynanchum / microbiology
  • Disease Resistance
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Phylogeny
  • Plant Diseases / genetics*
  • Plant Diseases / microbiology*
  • Plant Proteins / chemistry
  • Plant Proteins / genetics*
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / chemistry
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / microbiology
  • Protein Domains
  • Qb-SNARE Proteins / chemistry
  • Qb-SNARE Proteins / genetics*
  • Qc-SNARE Proteins / chemistry
  • Qc-SNARE Proteins / genetics*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Verticillium / physiology*

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Plant Proteins
  • Qb-SNARE Proteins
  • Qc-SNARE Proteins
  • SNAP33 protein, Arabidopsis

Grants and funding

This work was sponsored by the State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology Open Fund (Grant No. CB2016B01), the “Seven Crop Breeding” National Major Project (Grant 2016YFD0101006), and the Genetically Modified Organism Breeding Major Project (Grant no. 2014ZX08005-002), the Program of National Nature Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 31071751). YH received the fundings. The funders had no role in study design.