The Pathogen-Induced MATE Gene <i>TaPIMA1</i> Is Required for Defense Responses to <i>Rhizoctonia cerealis</i> in Wheat

The sharp eyespot, mainly caused by the soil-borne fungus <i>Rhizoctonia cerealis</i>, is a devastating disease endangering production of wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i>). Multi-Antimicrobial Extrusion (MATE) family genes are widely distributed in plant species, but little is...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Qiang Su, Wei Rong, Zengyan Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-03-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/6/3377
Description
Summary:The sharp eyespot, mainly caused by the soil-borne fungus <i>Rhizoctonia cerealis</i>, is a devastating disease endangering production of wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i>). Multi-Antimicrobial Extrusion (MATE) family genes are widely distributed in plant species, but little is known about MATE functions in wheat disease resistance. In this study, we identified <i>TaPIMA1</i>, a pathogen-induced MATE gene in wheat, from RNA-seq data. <i>TaPIMA1</i> expression was induced by <i>Rhizoctonia cerealis</i> and was higher in sharp eyespot-resistant wheat genotypes than in susceptible wheat genotypes. Molecular biology assays showed that TaPIMA1 belonged to the MATE family, and the expressed protein could distribute in the cytoplasm and plasma membrane. Virus-Induced Gene Silencing plus disease assessment indicated that knock-down of <i>TaPIMA1</i> impaired resistance of wheat to sharp eyespot and down-regulated the expression of defense genes (<i>Defensin</i>, <i>PR10</i>, <i>PR1.2</i>, and <i>Chitinase3</i>). Furthermore, <i>TaPIMA1</i> was rapidly induced by exogenous H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> and jasmonate (JA) treatments, which also promoted the expression of pathogenesis-related genes. These results suggested that <i>TaPIMA1</i> might positively regulate the defense against <i>R. cerealis</i> by up-regulating the expression of defense-associated genes in H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> and JA signal pathways. This study sheds light on the role of MATE transporter in wheat defense to <i>Rhizoctonia cerealis</i> and provides a potential gene for improving wheat resistance against sharp eyespot.
ISSN:1661-6596
1422-0067