Li Yaoyao, Zhang Juan, Qi Chunyan, Mo Qitao, Zhong Kaili, Liu Jiaqian, Cai Hailin, Li Jianyong, Chen Jianping, Yang Jian, Liu Peng
State Key Laboratory for Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA, Key Laboratory of Green Plant Protection of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.
Hunan Tobacco Research Institute, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Mol Plant Pathol. 2025 Apr;26(4):e70084. doi: 10.1111/mpp.70084.
The small open reading frames (ORFs) embedded in lncRNA have been identified to encode biologically functional peptides in many species. However, the function of lncRNA-encoded small peptides in the plant antiviral response remains unclear. In this study, an lncRNA Talnc54748 was identified, which encodes the small peptide ORF4. Transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana overexpressing ORF4 could enhance wheat yellow mosaic virus (WYMV) infection. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that many genes in plant hormone signalling and MAPK signalling pathways were reduced in ORF4-overexpressing lines. The function of SAUR21 and MKK2, involved in plant hormone signalling and MAPK signalling pathways, respectively, was investigated by virus-induced gene silencing assay. Silencing SAUR21 or MKK2 in wheat and N. benthamiana enhanced WYMV infection. Transgenic overexpression of ORF4 not only enhanced the accumulation of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), but also promoted Phytophthora capsici or Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 infection. Our results demonstrated that an lncRNA-encoded small peptide plays an important role in plant immunity and provides new insights into the roles of this lncRNA-encoded small peptide in the plant antiviral response.
已证实，许多物种中嵌入长链非编码RNA（lncRNA）的小开放阅读框（ORF）可编码具有生物学功能的肽段。然而，lncRNA编码的小肽在植物抗病毒反应中的功能仍不清楚。在本研究中，鉴定出一种lncRNA Talnc54748，其编码小肽ORF4。过表达ORF4的转基因本氏烟草可增强小麦黄花叶病毒（WYMV）的感染。RNA测序分析显示，植物激素信号传导和丝裂原活化蛋白激酶（MAPK）信号传导途径中的许多基因在过表达ORF4的株系中表达下调。分别通过病毒诱导的基因沉默试验研究了参与植物激素信号传导和MAPK信号传导途径的SAUR21和MKK2的功能。在小麦和本氏烟草中沉默SAUR21或MKK2可增强WYMV的感染。ORF4的转基因过表达不仅增强了烟草花叶病毒（TMV）和番茄花叶病毒（ToMV）的积累，还促进了辣椒疫霉或番茄丁香假单胞菌番茄致病变种DC3000的感染。我们的结果表明，lncRNA编码的小肽在植物免疫中起重要作用，并为该lncRNA编码的小肽在植物抗病毒反应中的作用提供了新的见解。
