Identification of Powdery Mildew Responsive Genes in Hevea brasiliensis through mRNA Differential Display

Abstract

Powdery mildew is an important disease of rubber trees caused by Oidium heveae B. A. Steinmann. As far as we know, none of the resistance genes related to powdery mildew have been isolated from the rubber tree. There is little information available at the molecular level regarding how a rubber tree develops defense mechanisms against this pathogen. We have studied rubber tree mRNA transcripts from the resistant RRIC52 cultivar by differential display analysis. Leaves inoculated with the spores of O. heveae were collected from 0 to 120 hpi in order to identify pathogen-regulated genes at different infection stages. We identified 78 rubber tree genes that were differentially expressed during the plant–pathogen interaction. BLAST analysis for these 78 ESTs classified them into seven functional groups: cell wall and membrane pathways, transcription factor and regulatory proteins, transporters, signal transduction, phytoalexin biosynthesis, other metabolism functions, and unknown functions. The gene expression for eight of these genes was validated by qRT-PCR in both RRIC52 and the partially susceptible Reyan 7-33-97 cultivars, revealing the similar or differential changes of gene expressions between these two cultivars. This study has improved our overall understanding of the molecular mechanisms of rubber tree resistance to powdery mildew.

Molecular identification of the powdery mildew fungus infecting rubber trees in China

“…Some diseased leaves were stained with trypan blue and observed following a previous protocol (Li et al, 2016). Fresh samples were also observed by scanning electron microscopy (Cook et al, 1997;Kiss et al, 2001).…”

“…The inoculation experiment was performed with six rubber trees and each one contained six leaves. Inoculated and non-inoculated rubber trees were incubated in a growth chamber at 22°C with 60%-70% humidity and a 16-hr photoperiod (Li et al, 2016).…”

Promoter Analysis of a Powdery Mildew Induced Vitis vinifera NAC Transcription Factor Gene

“…Fourteen Chitin-responsive transcription factor genes as part of the plant defense reaction were significantly up regulated after chitin treatment in Arabidopsis [12]. HBOH13 and HBOH14 transcription factor genes were induced upon infection with the powdery mildew during early stages of infection in rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) through mRNA Differential Display [13]. VvNAC transcription facto genes have different roles in grape vine like tissue development, biotic and abiotic response.…”

The genetics of exapted resistance to two exotic pathogens in pedunculate oak

“…In particular, cysteine‐rich RLKs, represented by a cluster of 13 genes, have been associated with resistance to PM in various plants (e.g. barley, Hordeum vulgare ; Rayapuram et al ., ), including Hevea brasiliensis (X. Li et al ., ), which is infected by the same PM species as oak (Takamatsu et al ., ). FERONIA belongs to another type of RLK with an extracellular domain that shares homology with malectin, a carbohydrate‐binding protein from animals (C. Li et al , ).…”