Engineering Research Center of Agricultural Microbiology Technology, Ministry of Education & Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Restoration and Resource Utilization for Cold Region & Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, College of Heilongjiang Province & School of Life Sciences, Heilongjiang University, Harbin, 150080, China.
School of Economies and Management, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
Plant Mol Biol. 2024 Oct 3;114(5):110. doi: 10.1007/s11103-024-01506-0.
Jasmonic acid (JA), an important plant hormone, plays a crucial role in defending against herbivorous insects. In this study, we have identified a new Bowman-Birk type protease inhibitor (BBTI) protein in maize that is regulated by the JA pathway and exhibits significant antifeedant activity, which is notably induced by exogenous Methyl Jasmonate and Ostrinia furnacalis feeding treatments. Bioinformatics analysis revealed significant differences in the BBTI protein among different maize inbred lines, except for the conserved domain. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems were constructed and expressed, and combined with bioassays, it was demonstrated that the antifeedant activity of BBTI is determined by protein modifications and conserved domains. Through RT-qPCR detection of BBTI and JA regulatory pathway-related genes' temporal expression in different maize inbred lines, we identified the regulatory mechanism of BBTI synthesis under the JA pathway. This study successfully cloned and identified the MeJA-induced anti-feedant activity gene BBTI and conducted functional validation in different maize inbred lines, providing valuable insights into the response mechanism of insect resistance induced by the plant JA pathway. The increased expression of the anti-feedant activity gene BBTI through exogenous MeJA induction may offer a potential new strategy for mediating plant defense against Lepidoptan insects.
茉莉酸（JA）是一种重要的植物激素，在抵御草食性昆虫方面起着至关重要的作用。在本研究中，我们在玉米中鉴定出一种新的 Bowman-Birk 型蛋白酶抑制剂（BBTI）蛋白，该蛋白受 JA 途径调控，并表现出显著的拒食活性，特别是在外源茉莉酸甲酯和亚洲玉米螟取食处理下诱导显著。生物信息学分析显示，不同玉米自交系之间的 BBTI 蛋白存在显著差异，除了保守结构域。构建了原核和真核表达系统，并结合生物测定表明，BBTI 的拒食活性取决于蛋白质修饰和保守结构域。通过不同玉米自交系中 BBTI 和 JA 调控途径相关基因的时空表达 RT-qPCR 检测，我们确定了 JA 途径下 BBTI 合成的调控机制。本研究成功克隆并鉴定了 MeJA 诱导的抗饲料活性基因 BBTI，并在不同玉米自交系中进行了功能验证，为植物 JA 途径诱导的抗虫性反应机制提供了有价值的见解。通过外源 MeJA 诱导增加抗饲料活性基因 BBTI 的表达可能为介导植物防御鳞翅目昆虫提供一种新的潜在策略。
