Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Forestry Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, China.
International Cooperation Base of Science and Technology Innovation on Forest Resource Biotechnology of Hunan Province, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, China.
BMC Plant Biol. 2022 Jan 5;22(1):17. doi: 10.1186/s12870-021-03398-4.
The elemental defense hypothesis states a new defensive strategy that hyperaccumulators defense against herbivores or pathogens attacks by accumulating heavy metals. Brassica juncea has an excellent ability of cadmium (Cd) accumulation. However, the elemental defense effect and its regulation mechanism in B. juncea remain unclear.
In this study, we profiled the elemental defense effect and the molecular regulatory mechanism in Cd-accumulated B. juncea after Alternaria brassicicola infection. B. juncea treated with 180 mg Kg DW CdCl 2.5HO exhibited obvious elemental defense effect after 72 h of infection with A. brassicicola. The expression of some defense-related genes including BjNPR1, BjPR12, BjPR2, and stress-related miRNAs (miR156, miR397, miR398a, miR398b/c, miR408, miR395a, miR395b, miR396a, and miR396b) were remarkably elevated during elemental defense in B. juncea.
The results indicate that Cd-accumulated B. juncea may defend against pathogens by coordinating salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) mediated systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and elemental defense in a synergistic joint effect. Furthermore, the expression of miRNAs related to heavy metal stress response and disease resistance may regulate the balance between pathogen defense and heavy metal stress-responsive in B. juncea. The findings provide experimental evidence for the elemental defense hypothesis in plants from the perspectives of phytohormones, defense-related genes, and miRNAs.
元素防御假说提出了一种新的防御策略,即超积累植物通过积累重金属来防御食草动物或病原体的攻击。芥菜具有很强的镉(Cd)积累能力。然而,芥菜中元素防御的作用及其调节机制尚不清楚。
本研究在 A. brassicicola 感染后,分析了 Cd 积累的芥菜中元素防御的作用及其分子调控机制。B. juncea 用 180mg Kg DW CdCl 2.5HO 处理后,在感染 A. brassicicola 72 小时后表现出明显的元素防御作用。一些防御相关基因,包括 BjNPR1、BjPR12、BjPR2 和应激相关 miRNA(miR156、miR397、miR398a、miR398b/c、miR408、miR395a、miR395b、miR396a 和 miR396b)的表达在芥菜的元素防御中显著升高。
结果表明,Cd 积累的芥菜可能通过协调水杨酸(SA)和茉莉酸(JA)介导的系统获得性抗性(SAR)和元素防御来协同拮抗作用,从而抵抗病原体。此外,与重金属胁迫反应和抗病性相关的 miRNA 的表达可能调节芥菜中病原体防御和重金属胁迫反应之间的平衡。这些发现从植物激素、防御相关基因和 miRNA 的角度为植物的元素防御假说提供了实验证据。