Suppression of Arabidopsis Mediator Subunit-Encoding MED18 Confers Broad Resistance Against DNA and RNA Viruses While MED25 Is Required for Virus Defense

Mediator subunits play key roles in numerous physiological pathways and developmental processes in plants. Arabidopsis Mediator subunits, MED18 and MED25, have previously been shown to modulate disease resistance against fungal and bacterial pathogens through their role in jasmonic acid (JA) signali...

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Main Authors: Nasser K. Hussein, Layla J. Sabr, Edina Lobo, James Booth, Emily Ariens, Swaminathan Detchanamurthy, Peer M. Schenk
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2020-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Plant Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2020.00162/full
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author Nasser K. Hussein
Nasser K. Hussein
Layla J. Sabr
Edina Lobo
James Booth
Emily Ariens
Swaminathan Detchanamurthy
Peer M. Schenk
author_facet Nasser K. Hussein
Nasser K. Hussein
Layla J. Sabr
Edina Lobo
James Booth
Emily Ariens
Swaminathan Detchanamurthy
Peer M. Schenk
author_sort Nasser K. Hussein
collection DOAJ
description Mediator subunits play key roles in numerous physiological pathways and developmental processes in plants. Arabidopsis Mediator subunits, MED18 and MED25, have previously been shown to modulate disease resistance against fungal and bacterial pathogens through their role in jasmonic acid (JA) signaling. In this study, Arabidopsis mutant plants of the two Mediator subunits, med18 and med25, were tested against three ssRNA viruses and one dsDNA virus belonging to four different families: Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV), Alternanthera mosaic virus (AltMV), and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Although both subunits are utilized in JA signaling, they occupy different positions (Head and Tail domain, respectively) in the Mediator complex and their absence affected virus infection differently. Arabidopsis med18 plants displayed increased resistance to RNA viral infection and a trend against the DNA virus, while med25 mutants displayed increased susceptibility to all viruses tested at 2 and 14 days post inoculations. Defense marker gene expression profiling of mock- and virus-inoculated plants showed that med18 and med25 mutants exhibited an upregulated SA pathway upon virus infection at 2 dpi for all viruses tested. JA signaling was also suppressed in med18 plants after virus infection, independent of which virus infected the plants. The upregulation of SA signaling and suppression of JA signaling in med18 may have led to more targeted oxidative burst and programmed cell death to control viruses. However, the susceptibility exhibited by med25 mutants suggests that other factors, such as a weakened RNAi pathway, might play a role in the observed susceptibility. We conclude that MED18 and MED25 have clear and opposite effects on accumulation of plant viruses. MED18 is required for normal virus infection, while MED25 is important for defense against virus infection. Results from this study provide a better understanding of the role of Mediator subunits during plant-virus interactions, viral disease progression and strategies to develop virus resistant plants.
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spelling doaj.art-707a3d27c9144e55acc3ad9d87d0ed982022-12-21T23:50:38ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2020-03-011110.3389/fpls.2020.00162505000Suppression of Arabidopsis Mediator Subunit-Encoding MED18 Confers Broad Resistance Against DNA and RNA Viruses While MED25 Is Required for Virus DefenseNasser K. Hussein0Nasser K. Hussein1Layla J. Sabr2Edina Lobo3James Booth4Emily Ariens5Swaminathan Detchanamurthy6Peer M. Schenk7Plant-Microbe Interactions Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaPlant Protection Department, College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, IraqPlant Protection Department, College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, IraqPlant-Microbe Interactions Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaPlant-Microbe Interactions Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaPlant-Microbe Interactions Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaPlant-Microbe Interactions Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaPlant-Microbe Interactions Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaMediator subunits play key roles in numerous physiological pathways and developmental processes in plants. Arabidopsis Mediator subunits, MED18 and MED25, have previously been shown to modulate disease resistance against fungal and bacterial pathogens through their role in jasmonic acid (JA) signaling. In this study, Arabidopsis mutant plants of the two Mediator subunits, med18 and med25, were tested against three ssRNA viruses and one dsDNA virus belonging to four different families: Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV), Alternanthera mosaic virus (AltMV), and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Although both subunits are utilized in JA signaling, they occupy different positions (Head and Tail domain, respectively) in the Mediator complex and their absence affected virus infection differently. Arabidopsis med18 plants displayed increased resistance to RNA viral infection and a trend against the DNA virus, while med25 mutants displayed increased susceptibility to all viruses tested at 2 and 14 days post inoculations. Defense marker gene expression profiling of mock- and virus-inoculated plants showed that med18 and med25 mutants exhibited an upregulated SA pathway upon virus infection at 2 dpi for all viruses tested. JA signaling was also suppressed in med18 plants after virus infection, independent of which virus infected the plants. The upregulation of SA signaling and suppression of JA signaling in med18 may have led to more targeted oxidative burst and programmed cell death to control viruses. However, the susceptibility exhibited by med25 mutants suggests that other factors, such as a weakened RNAi pathway, might play a role in the observed susceptibility. We conclude that MED18 and MED25 have clear and opposite effects on accumulation of plant viruses. MED18 is required for normal virus infection, while MED25 is important for defense against virus infection. Results from this study provide a better understanding of the role of Mediator subunits during plant-virus interactions, viral disease progression and strategies to develop virus resistant plants.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2020.00162/fullAlternanthera mosaic virusArabidopsis thalianaCauliflower mosaic virusCucumber mosaic virusmediator subunitplant virus resistance
spellingShingle Nasser K. Hussein
Nasser K. Hussein
Layla J. Sabr
Edina Lobo
James Booth
Emily Ariens
Swaminathan Detchanamurthy
Peer M. Schenk
Suppression of Arabidopsis Mediator Subunit-Encoding MED18 Confers Broad Resistance Against DNA and RNA Viruses While MED25 Is Required for Virus Defense
Frontiers in Plant Science
Alternanthera mosaic virus
Arabidopsis thaliana
Cauliflower mosaic virus
Cucumber mosaic virus
mediator subunit
plant virus resistance
title Suppression of Arabidopsis Mediator Subunit-Encoding MED18 Confers Broad Resistance Against DNA and RNA Viruses While MED25 Is Required for Virus Defense
title_full Suppression of Arabidopsis Mediator Subunit-Encoding MED18 Confers Broad Resistance Against DNA and RNA Viruses While MED25 Is Required for Virus Defense
title_fullStr Suppression of Arabidopsis Mediator Subunit-Encoding MED18 Confers Broad Resistance Against DNA and RNA Viruses While MED25 Is Required for Virus Defense
title_full_unstemmed Suppression of Arabidopsis Mediator Subunit-Encoding MED18 Confers Broad Resistance Against DNA and RNA Viruses While MED25 Is Required for Virus Defense
title_short Suppression of Arabidopsis Mediator Subunit-Encoding MED18 Confers Broad Resistance Against DNA and RNA Viruses While MED25 Is Required for Virus Defense
title_sort suppression of arabidopsis mediator subunit encoding med18 confers broad resistance against dna and rna viruses while med25 is required for virus defense
topic Alternanthera mosaic virus
Arabidopsis thaliana
Cauliflower mosaic virus
Cucumber mosaic virus
mediator subunit
plant virus resistance
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2020.00162/full
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