VqWRKY56 interacts with VqbZIPC22 in grapevine to promote proanthocyanidin biosynthesis and increase resistance to powdery mildew

Abstract

Summary Powdery mildew (PM) is a severe fungal disease of cultivated grapevine world‐wide. Proanthocyanidins (PAs) play an important role in resistance to fungal pathogens; however, little is known about PA‐mediated PM resistance in grapevine. We identified a WRKY transcription factor, VqWRKY56, from Vitis quinquangularis, the expression of which was significantly induced by PM. Overexpression (OE) of VqWRKY56 in Vitis vinifera increased PA content and reduced susceptibility to PM. Furthermore, the transgenic plants showed more cell death and increased accumulation of salicylic acid and reactive oxygen species. Transient silencing of VqWRKY56 in V. quinquangularis and V. vinifera reduced PA accumulation and increased the susceptibility to PM. VqWRKY56 interacted with VqbZIPC22 in vitro and in planta. The protein VqWRKY56 can bind to VvCHS3, VvLAR1, and VvANR promoters, and VqbZIPC22 can bind to VvANR promoter. Co‐expression of VqWRKY56 and VqbZIPC22 significantly increased the transcript level of VvCHS3, VvLAR1, and VvANR genes. Finally, transient OE of VqbZIPC22 in V. vinifera promoted PA accumulation and improved resistance to PM, while transient silencing in V. quinquangularis had the opposite effect. Our study provides new insights into the mechanism of PA regulation by VqWRKY56 in grapevine and provides a basis for further metabolic engineering of PA biosynthesis to improve PM resistance.

Identification of Hsp20 gene family in Malus domestica and functional characterization of Hsp20 class I gene MdHsp18.2b

“…This indicates that enhanced anthocyanin or related secondary metabolites are positively correlated with ROS levels, which might all contribute to enhanced disease resistance (Wang et al, 2023). CXY and XYL supervised the project.…”

Integrated Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis Identifies Novel Regulatory Genes Associated with Plant Growth Regulator-Induced Astringency in Grape Berries

“…The leaves of rooted six-week-old tissue-cultured "Wink" or "Manicure Finger" graps were immersed in the Agrobacterium suspension (OD600 = 0.6 in infiltration buffer [5 mM MgCl 2 , 5 mM MES, pH 5.7−5.9]) and vacuum-infiltrated for 25−30 min under a pressure of 0.09 MPa. 52 Excess Agrobacterium-containing resuspension liquid was wiped from the leaves, and the infiltrated grape leaves were placed on plates of cultivation medium [MS, sucrose (30 g/L), 0.7% agar, pH 5.7−5.9]. Plates were kept in the dark for 24 h, then in the light for 24 h before DMACA staining (0.1% DMACA, 90% ethanol of analytical grade, 10% HCl, 10−15 min) and sampling for the subsequent proanthocyanidin quantification analysis.…”

“…DMACA has been shown to specially interact with PA to form blue pigments, and the intensity is a measure of the abundance of PAs. 43,52 Statistical Analysis. Data were analyzed with SPSS 20.0 software and expressed as mean ± SE (standard error).…”

“…The plasmids were transformed into Agrobacterium strain GV3101, and transient overexpression experiments were performed. The leaves of rooted six-week-old tissue-cultured “Wink” or “Manicure Finger” graps were immersed in the Agrobacterium suspension (OD600 = 0.6 in infiltration buffer [5 mM MgCl 2 , 5 mM MES, pH 5.7–5.9]) and vacuum-infiltrated for 25–30 min under a pressure of 0.09 MPa . Excess Agrobacterium-containing resuspension liquid was wiped from the leaves, and the infiltrated grape leaves were placed on plates of cultivation medium [MS, sucrose (30 g/L), 0.7% agar, pH 5.7–5.9].…”

“…Plates were kept in the dark for 24 h, then in the light for 24 h before DMACA staining (0.1% DMACA, 90% ethanol of analytical grade, 10% HCl, 10–15 min) and sampling for the subsequent proanthocyanidin quantification analysis. DMACA has been shown to specially interact with PA to form blue pigments, and the intensity is a measure of the abundance of PAs. , …”