title: A parasitism gene from a plant-parasitic nematode with function similar to CLAVATA3/ESR (CLE) of Arabidopsis thaliana.
abstract: SUMMARY The Hg-SYV46 parasitism gene is expressed exclusively in the dorsal oesophageal gland cell of parasitic stages of the soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines, and it encodes a secretory protein that contains a C-terminal motif of the CLAVATA3/ESR-related (CLE) family in Arabidopsis thaliana. In shoot and floral meristems of Arabidopsis, the stem cells secret CLV3, a founding member of the CLE protein family, that activates the CLV1/CLV2 receptor complex and negatively regulates WUSCHEL expression to restrict the size of the stem cell population. Mis-expression of Hg-SYV46 in Arabidopsis (ecotype Columbia-0) under control of the CaMV35S promoter resulted in a wus-like phenotype including premature termination of the shoot apical meristem and the development of flowers lacking the central gynoecium. The wus-like phenotype observed was similar to reports of over-expression of CLV3 and CLE40 in Arabidopsis, as was down-regulation of WUS expression in the shoot apices of 35S::Hg-SYV46/Col-0 plants. Expression of 35S::Hg-SYV46 in a clv3-1 mutant of Arabidopsis was able partially or fully to rescue the mutant phenotype, probably dependent upon localization and level of transgene expression. A short root phenotype, as reported for over-expression of CLV3, CLE40 and CLE19 in roots, was also produced in primary 35S::Hg-SYV46/Col-0 transgenic plants. The results suggest a functional similarity of HG-SYV46 to plant-secreted CLE ligands that may play a role in the differentiation or division of feeding cells induced in plant roots by parasitic nematodes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology, USDA-ARS, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Melissa G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Mitchum
authors.forename: Bingli
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Chunying
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hanane
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Diab
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Baum
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Hussey
authors.forename: Eric L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Davis