title: Induction of plant virus defense response by brassinosteroids and brassinosteroid signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana.
abstract: Our study demonstrated that CMV resistance was upregulated by brassinosteroids (BRs) treatment, and BR signaling was needed for this BRs-induced CMV tolerance. Plant steroid hormones, brassinosteroids (BRs), play essential roles in variety of plant developmental processes and adaptation to various biotic and abiotic stresses. BR signal through plasma membrane-localized receptor and other components to modulate several transcription factors that modulate thousands of target genes including certain stress-responsive genes. To study the effects of BRs on plant virus defense and how BRs induce plant virus stress tolerance, we manipulated the BRs levels in Arabidopsis thaliana and found that BRs levels were positively correlated with the tolerance to Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). We also showed that BRs treatment alleviated photosystem damage, enhanced antioxidant enzymes activity and induced defense-associated genes expression under CMV stress in Arabidopsis. To see whether BR signaling is essential for the plant virus defense response, we made use of BR signaling mutants (a weak allele of the BRs receptor mutant bri1-5 and constitutive BRs response mutant bes1-D). Compared with wild-type Arabidopsis plants, bri1-5 displayed reversed tolerance to CMV, but the resistance was enhanced in bes1-D. Together our results suggest that BRs can induce plant virus defense response through BR signaling.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment, College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, China.
authors.forename: Da-Wei
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xing-Guang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Fa-Qiong
authors.initials: FQ
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Hong-Hui
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060406:Brassinosteroids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D017799:Cucumovirus / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C456160:BES1 protein, Arabidopsis; D060406:Brassinosteroids; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D002734:Chlorophyll; D011494:Protein Kinases; C108270:BRI1 protein, Arabidopsis