title: ML3: a novel regulator of herbivory-induced responses in Arabidopsis thaliana.
abstract: ML (MD2-related lipid recognition) proteins are known to enhance innate immune responses in mammals. This study reports the analysis of the putative ML gene family in Arabidopsis thaliana and suggests a role for the ML3 gene in herbivory-associated responses in plants. Feeding by larvae of the Lepidopteran generalist herbivore Spodoptera littoralis and larvae of the specialist herbivore Plutella xylostella activated ML3 transcription in leaf tissues. ML3 loss-of-function Arabidopsis plants were compromised in the upregulation of herbivory-induced genes and displayed a semi-dwarf phenotype. Herbivory bioassays showed that larvae of S. littoralis fed on ml3 mutant plants gained more weight compared to larvae fed on wild-type plants while larvae of P. xylostella did not show any significant difference. Virus-induced gene silencing of ML3 expression in plants compromised in jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) signalling revealed a complex role of ML3 in JA/defence signalling affecting both JA- and SA-dependent responses. The data suggest that ML3 is involved in herbivory-mediated responses in Arabidopsis and that it has a potential role in herbivory-associated molecular pattern recognition.
authors: Department of Plant Biology and Forest Genetics, Uppsala Biocenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors: Ingela
authors: I
authors: Fridborg
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Johansson
authors: Johanna
authors: J
authors: Lagensjö
authors: Natthanon
authors: N
authors: Leelarasamee
authors: Kristyna
authors: K
authors: Floková
authors: Danuse
authors: D
authors: Tarkowská
authors: Johan
authors: J
authors: Meijer
authors: Sarosh
authors: S
authors: Bejai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003517:Cyclopentanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing; D017343:Genes, Plant; D060434:Herbivory; D007814:Larva / Q000502:physiology; D005810:Multigene Family; D054883:Oxylipins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010802:Phylogeny; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D020156:Salicylic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D003517:Cyclopentanes; D054883:Oxylipins; C011006:jasmonic acid; D020156:Salicylic Acid