title: The cotton MYB108 forms a positive feedback regulation loop with CML11 and participates in the defense response against Verticillium dahliae infection.
abstract: Accumulating evidence indicates that plant MYB transcription factors participate in defense against pathogen attack, but their regulatory targets and related signaling processes remain largely unknown. Here, we identified a defense-related MYB gene (GhMYB108) from upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and characterized its functional mechanism. Expression of GhMYB108 in cotton plants was induced by Verticillium dahliae infection and responded to the application of defense signaling molecules, including salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene. Knockdown of GhMYB108 expression led to increased susceptibility of cotton plants to V. dahliae, while ecotopic overexpression of GhMYB108 in Arabidopsis thaliana conferred enhanced tolerance to the pathogen. Further analysis demonstrated that GhMYB108 interacted with the calmodulin-like protein GhCML11, and the two proteins form a positive feedback loop to enhance the transcription of GhCML11 in a calcium-dependent manner. Verticillium dahliae infection stimulated Ca(2+) influx into the cytosol in cotton root cells, but this response was disrupted in both GhCML11-silenced plants and GhMYB108-silenced plants in which expression of several calcium signaling-related genes was down-regulated. Taken together, these results indicate that GhMYB108 acts as a positive regulator in defense against V. dahliae infection by interacting with GhCML11. Furthermore, the data also revealed the important roles and synergetic regulation of MYB transcription factor, Ca(2+), and calmodulin in plant immune responses.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Beijing 100101, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Huan-Qing
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Li-Bo
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Nai-Qin
authors.initials: NQ
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Jia-He
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Fu-Xin
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Beijing 100101, China xiagx@im.ac.cn wanghy@im.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Hai-Yun
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Beijing 100101, China xiagx@im.ac.cn wanghy@im.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Gui-Xian
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000235:genetics; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D025461:Feedback, Physiological; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing; D003368:Gossypium / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011485:Protein Binding; D000072417:Protein Domains; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D020172:Verticillium / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Calcium; MYB; Verticillium dahliae.; calmodulin; cotton; plant defense