title: Functional characterization of a novel jasmonate ZIM-domain interactor (NINJA) from upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).
abstract: The jasmonic acid (JA) signalling pathway plays roles in plant development and defence against biotic and abiotic stresses. We isolated a cotton NINJA (novel interactor of JA ZIM-domain) gene, designated GhNINJA, which contains a 1305 bp open read frame. The GhNINJA gene encodes a 434 amino acid peptide. According to quantitative real-time PCR analysis, GhNINJA is preferentially expressed in roots, and its expression level is greatly induced by Verticillium dahliae infection. Through a virus-induced gene silencing technique, we developed GhNINJA-silenced cotton plants, which had significantly decreased expression of the target gene with an average expression of 6% of the control. The regenerating lateral root growth of silenced plants was largely inhibited compared to the control. Analysis by microscopy demonstrated that the cell length of the root differentiation zone in GhNINJA-silenced plants is significantly shorter than those of the control. Moreover, the silenced plants exhibited higher tolerance to V. dahliae infection compared to the control, which was linked to the increased expression of the defence marker genes PDF1.2 and PR4. Together, these data indicated that knockdown of GhNINJA represses the root growth and enhances the tolerance to V. dahliae. Therefore, GhNINJA gene can be used as a candidate gene to breed the new cultivars for improving cotton yield and disease resistance.
authors.affiliation: Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Utilization, College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan 416000, China; State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100010, China.
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100010, China.
authors.forename: Shu-Ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Utilization, College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan 416000, China; State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100010, China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100010, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100010, China.
authors.forename: Zhen-Nan
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Utilization, College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan 416000, China; State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100010, China.
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Utilization, College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan 416000, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Zhong
authors.initials: QZ
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Utilization, College of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan 416000, China; State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100010, China. Electronic address: wujiahe@im.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Jia-He
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003517:Cyclopentanes / Q000378:metabolism*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D020868:Gene Silencing; D017343:Genes, Plant; D003368:Gossypium / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D018519:Meristem / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development; D054883:Oxylipins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D038761:Photobleaching; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000072417:Protein Domains; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D020172:Verticillium / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003517:Cyclopentanes; D054883:Oxylipins; D010940:Plant Proteins; C011006:jasmonic acid
keywords: Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.); Defence response; GhNINJA; Root development; Verticillium dahliae