title: The beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii modulates the expression of WRKY transcription factors in syncytia to favour its development in Arabidopsis roots.
abstract: Cyst nematodes invade the roots of their host plants as second stage juveniles and induce a syncytium which is the only source of nutrients throughout their life. A recent transcriptome analysis of syncytia induced by the beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii in Arabidopsis roots has shown that thousands of genes are up-regulated or down-regulated in syncytia as compared to root segments from uninfected plants. Among the down-regulated genes are many which code for WRKY transcription factors. Arabidopsis contains 66 WRKY genes with 59 represented by the ATH1 GeneChip. Of these, 28 were significantly down-regulated and 6 up-regulated in syncytia as compared to control root segments. We have studied here the down-regulated genes WRKY6, WRKY11, WRKY17 and WRKY33 in detail. We confirmed the down-regulation in syncytia with promoter::GUS lines. Using various overexpression lines and mutants it was shown that the down-regulation of these WRKY genes is important for nematode development, probably through interfering with plant defense reactions. In case of WRKY33, this might involve the production of the phytoalexin camalexin.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria; Department of Plant Pathology, Centre of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Amjad
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wieczorek
authors.affiliation: Chair of Bioinformatics, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria; School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Kreil
authors.affiliation: Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bohlmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D015536:Down-Regulation; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D007211:Indoles / Q000378:metabolism; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000469:parasitology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014431:Tylenchoidea / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D000094162:Phytoalexins
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D007211:Indoles; D013844:Thiazoles; D014157:Transcription Factors; C517320:WRKY11 protein, Arabidopsis; C517321:WRKY17 protein, Arabidopsis; C517860:WRKY33 protein, Arabidopsis; C446285:WRKY6 protein, Arabidopsis; C102405:camalexin; D000094162:Phytoalexins