title: Transposon-derived small RNA is responsible for modified function of WRKY45 locus.
abstract: Transposable elements (TEs) are an important source for generating small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in plants and animals. Although TE-siRNA-induced silencing of TEs by RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) in the maintenance of genome integrity has been intensively studied, it is unknown whether this type of silencing occurs in suppressing endogenous non-TE genes during host-pathogen interactions. Here we show that a TE-siRNA, TE-siR815, causes opposite functions for the two alleles, WRKY45-1 and WRKY45-2, of the WRKY45 transcription factor in rice resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, which causes the most devastating bacterial disease in rice worldwide. Expression of WRKY45-1, but not WRKY45-2, generated TE-siR815, which in turn repressed ST1, an important component in WRKY45-mediated resistance, by RdDM. Suppression of ST1 abolished WRKY45-mediated resistance leading to pathogen susceptibility. These results suggest that TE-siR815 contributes to the natural variation of the WRKY45 locus and TE-siR815-induced suppression of ST1 results in the negative role of WRKY45-1 but positive role of WRKY45-2 in regulating disease resistance.
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Haitao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Zeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Hanming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Zhihui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Changyin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Xianghua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Jinghua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Shiping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001483:Base Sequence; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D060467:Disease Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D056426:Genetic Loci; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000235:genetics; D014974:Xanthomonas / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D010940:Plant Proteins; D018749:RNA, Plant; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering