MdWRKY40is directly promotes anthocyanin accumulation and blocks MdMYB15L, the repressor of MdCBF2, which improves cold tolerance in apple

Cold stress is an important factor that limits apple production. In this study, we examined the tissue-cultured plantlets of apple rootstocks ‘M9T337' and ‘60-160', which are resistant and sensitive to cold stress, respectively. The enriched pathways of differentially expressed genes(DEGs) and physiological changes in ‘M9T337' and ‘60-160' plantlets were clearly different after cold stress(1°C) treatment for 48 h, suggesting that they have differential responses to cold stress. The differential expression of WRKY transcription factors in the two plantlets showed that MdWRKY40is and MdWRKY48 are potential regulators of cold tolerance. When we overexpressed MdWRKY40is and MdWRKY48in apple calli, the overexpression of MdWRKY48 had no significant effect on the callus, while MdWRKY40is overexpression promoted anthocyanin accumulation, increased callus cold tolerance, and promoted the expression of anthocyanin structural gene MdDFR and cold-signaling core gene MdCBF2. Yeast one-hybrid screening and electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that MdWRKY40is could only bind to the MdDFR promoter. Yeast twohybrid screening and bimolecular fluorescence complementation showed that MdWRKY40is interacts with the CBF2inhibitor MdMYB15L through the leucine zipper(LZ). When the LZ of MdWRMY40is was knocked out, MdWRKY40is overexpression in the callus did not affect MdCBF2 expression or callus cold tolerance, indicating that MdWRKY40is acts in the cold signaling pathway by interacting with MdMYB15L. In summary, MdWRKY40is can directly bind to the MdDFR promoter in order to promote anthocyanin accumulation, and it can also interact with MdMYB15L to interfere with its inhibitory effect on MdCBF2, indirectly promoting MdCBF2 expression, and thereby improving cold tolerance.These results provide a new perspective for the cold-resistance mechanism of apple rootstocks and a molecular basis for the screening of cold-resistant rootstocks.

MdWRKY40介导提高苹果与拟南芥对轮纹病菌的免疫抗性

【目的】从‘富士’苹果中克隆MdWRKY40,研究其在水杨酸(SA)诱导条件下的表达模式及在苹果轮纹病抗病信号通路中的作用,为进一步揭示苹果的抗病机制提供理论依据。【方法】以‘富士’苹果为试材,克隆MdWRKY40的全长CDS序列,对其进行生物信息学分析,采用荧光定量PCR(qRT-PCR)分析其在苹果各组织中的表达水平,及对非生物胁迫SA的响应;研究外源SA处理对苹果叶片接种轮纹病菌(Botryosphaeria dothidea)的影响,并利用qRT-PCR检测病程相关蛋白基因的表达;将MdWRKY40在拟南芥中进行异源表达,对稳定表达的拟南芥幼苗叶片进行接菌处理,观察叶片发病程度及发病叶片数量,并采用qRT-PCR分析病程相关基因的表达;测量拟南芥幼苗的根系长度,并利用qRT-PCR检测生长素相关基因的表达。【结果】MdWRKY40包含长为858 bp完整的开放阅读框,编码286个氨基酸,预测其分子量为32.088 kD,等电点为8.15。系统进化树分析表明,MdWRKY40与白梨PbWRKY40序列相似性最高,亲缘关系最近,与拟南芥AtWRKY40在不同的分支上,亲缘关系较远,利用DANMAN软件进行MdWRKY40与AtWRKY40的多序列比对分析发现,MdWRKY40蛋白与AtWRKY40蛋白虽然都含有一个WRKYGQK保守结构域,但相似度仅为29.78%。qRT-PCR分析表明,MdWRKY40在根中的表达水平最高,在叶中的表达水平最低,并且在根、茎、叶中,SA均诱导了MdWRKY40的表达,且均呈现先升高后降低的趋势,在6 h时表达量最高;外源SA处理提高了苹果叶片对轮纹病菌的抗性,未处理的叶片发病率达92.59%,SA处理后发病率降至79.26%,并显著提高了病程相关蛋白基因MdPR2、MdPR5的表达量。与野生型相比,在拟南芥中异源过量表达MdWRKY40显著提高了拟南芥叶片对轮纹病菌的抗性,野生型拟南芥发病率达77.5%,而两个转基因拟南芥株系发病率仅为21.5%和17.4%,并显著提高了病程相关基因PR1、PR3、PR4的表达。过表达MdWRKY40的拟南芥植株根系生长受到抑制,培养7 d后转基因拟南芥主根长度分别是野生型拟南芥的39.9%和43.1%,培养10 d后主根长度分别是野生型拟南芥的58.5%和55.4%。基因表达结果显示,生长素合成相关基因AtTAA1和生长素运输相关基因AtPIN1、AtPIN2的表达水平在MdWRKY40过表达株系中显著低于野生型。【结论】MdWRKY40表达受SA和苹果轮纹病菌侵染诱导;MdWRKY40是苹果中重要的轮纹病抗病基因,该基因过表达显著提高对轮纹病菌的抗性;MdWRKY40具有调控植物根系生长发育的功能,可能通过下调生长素运输相关基因的表达影响植物根系生长发育。

苹果转录因子MdWRKY40b抗白粉病的机理

【目的】探究苹果白粉病相关基因MdWRKY40b调控苹果抗白粉病的机理,为苹果白粉病的抗性育种提供理论依据。【方法】以苹果品种‘嘎拉’叶片为材料提取总RNA,并以cDNA为模板克隆MdWRKY40b 552 bp特异性片段,采用Gateway技术将该基因片段的正反向序列构建入RNAi表达载体pB7GWIWG2(Ⅱ)中,然后利用农杆菌介导法对苹果叶片进行转化获得转基因植株,苹果叶片选用组培苗茎尖处幼嫩叶片;利用RT-qPCR技术对转基因植株中MdWRKY40b、超氧化物歧化酶基因(SOD)、过氧化氢酶基因(CAT)、过氧化物酶基因(POD)以及β-1,3-葡聚糖酶基因(β-1,3-glucanase)的表达量进行分析;进一步以1年生植株为材料,通过白粉病菌(Podosphaera leucotricha)接种试验,分析转基因植株对白粉病的抗病性;然后以接种白粉病菌后0、5、10、15、20 d的转基因植株及其对照植株叶片为材料,进行氯化硝基四氮唑蓝液(NBT)和二氨基联苯胺法(DAB)染色来分析病菌侵染期间植物材料中超氧阴离子和过氧化氢的积累量,进一步对病菌侵染期间植株中SOD、POD、CAT和β-1,3-葡聚糖酶等酶活性进行测定。【结果】经过PCR检测,确定获得3个MdWRKY40b基因沉默株系,分别为RNAi-1、RNAi-2和RNAi-3;RT-qPCR结果显示3个转基因株系MdWRKY40b基因沉默效率分别为95.2%、92.2%、79.8%,转基因植株中SOD、CAT、β-1,3-glucanase的表达量相较野生型显著上调;人工接种白粉病菌后发现,与野生型植株相比,转基因植株叶片中的粉状病斑显著减少,超氧阴离子和过氧化氢的积累量显著降低,SOD、CAT、POD等调节植物超氧阴离子代谢的抗氧化酶以及抗病相关的β-1,3-葡聚糖酶的活性显著增强。【结论】MdWRKY40b的沉默使得苹果植株对白粉病的抗病性增强,推测转基因植株中SOD、CAT、β-1,3-glucanase的上调表达提高了苹果植株对白粉病的基础抗性,导致植物对超氧阴离子的清除能力增加,维持了植物体在响应病菌侵染过程中的低浓度超氧阴离子含量,从而减少高浓度超氧阴离子对植物的损伤。