Two jasmonic acid carboxyl methyltransferases in Gossypium hirsutum involved in MeJA biosynthesis may contribute to plant defense

Dong Teng; Weixia Jing; Beibei Lv; Xinzheng Huang; Danyang Zhao; Junfeng Kou; Xiaohe Liu; Khalid Hussain Dhiloo; Yongjun Zhang

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1249226

Two jasmonic acid carboxyl methyltransferases in Gossypium hirsutum involved in MeJA biosynthesis may contribute to plant defense

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Sep 5:14:1249226. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1249226. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Dong Teng^{1

2}, Weixia Jing^{1

3}, Beibei Lv¹, Xinzheng Huang⁴, Danyang Zhao^{1

5}, Junfeng Kou^{1

6}, Xiaohe Liu¹, Khalid Hussain Dhiloo⁷, Yongjun Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
² Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
³ College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, China.
⁴ College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
⁵ School of Resources and Environment, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, China.
⁶ Institute of Plant Protection, Cangzhou Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Cangzhou, China.
⁷ Department of Entomology, Faculty of Crop Protection, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Pakistan.

Abstract

Jasmonic acid (JA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA), the crucial plant hormones, can induce the emission of plant volatiles and regulate the behavioral responses of insect pests or their natural enemies. In this study, two jasmonic acid carboxyl methyltransferases (JMTs), GhJMT1 and GhJMT2, involved in MeJA biosynthesis in Gossypium. hirsutum were identified and further functionally confirmed. In vitro, recombinant GhJMT1 and GhJMT2 were both responsible for the conversion of JA to MeJA. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) measurement indicated that GhJMT1 and GhJMT2 were obviously up-regulated in leaves and stems of G. hirsutum after being treated with MeJA. In gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, MeJA treatment significantly induced plant volatiles emission such as (E)-β-ocimene, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, linalool and (3E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT), which play vital roles in direct and indirect plant defenses. Moreover, antennae of parasitoid wasps Microplitis mediator showed electrophysiological responses to MeJA, β-ocimene, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and linalool at a dose dependent manner, while our previous research revealed that DMNT excites electrophysiological responses and behavioral tendencies. These findings provide a better understanding of MeJA biosynthesis and defense regulation in upland cotton, which lay a foundation to JA and MeJA employment in agricultural pest control.

Keywords: HIPVs; biosynthesis; jasmonic acid carboxyl methyltransferases; phytohormone; plant defense.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31972338), China Agriculture Research System (CARS-02-26), and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFD1400700).