Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Regulation of expression of rice thaumatin-like protein: inducibility by elicitor requires promoter W-box elements

  • Genetics and Genomics
  • Published:
Plant Cell Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Rice thaumatin-like protein (Rtlp1) is a high-molecular-weight antimicrobial pathogenesis-related protein that plays a role in plant stress response. This study examines transcriptional regulation of Rtlp1 using wild type and transgenic rice plants carrying a β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene driven by the Rtlp1 promoter (pRtlp1GUS). The Rtlp1 promoter is induced within 6 h after infection with rice blast fungus (Magnaporthe grisea). The Rtlp1 promoter is also induced by salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), wounding or an elicitor from rice blast fungus. The function of the pRtlp1GUS reporter gene was analyzed by deletion mapping and transient expression assays in cell culture. A 120 bp truncated fusion construct with six W-boxes (5′-TGAC-3′) demonstrated a strong dose-dependent elicitor-response. These results suggest that W-box elements are required for the response of the Rtlp1 promoter to fungal elicitors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abad LR, D’Urzo MP, Liu D, Narasimhan ML, Reuveni M, Zhu JK, Niu X, Singh NK, Hasegawa PM, Bressan RA (1996) Antifungal activity of tobacco osmotin has specificity and involves plasma membran permeabilization. Plant Sci 118:11–23

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Agrawal GK, Rakwal R, Jwa NS (2000) Rice (Oryza sativa L.) OsPR1b gene is phytohormonally regulated in close interaction with light signals. Bioch Biophys Res Commun 19:290–298

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bradford MM (1976) A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. J Biochem 72:248–254

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brrown RL, Kazan K, McGrath KC, Maclean DJ, Manners JM (2003) A role for the GCC-Box in Jasmonate-mediated activation of the PDF1.2 gene of arabidopsis. Plant Physiol 132:1020–1032

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Christensen AH, Sharrock RA, Quail PH (1992) Maize polyubiquitin genes: structure, thermal perturbation of expression and transcript splicing, and promoter activity following transfer to protoplasts by electroporation. Plant Mol Biol 18:675–689

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cordero MJ, Raventos D, San Segundo B (1994) Expression of a maize proteinase inhibitor gene is induced in response to wounding and fungal infection: systemic wound-response of a monocot gene. Plant J 6:141–150

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chujo T, Kato T, Yamada K, Takai R, Akimoto-Tomiyama C, Minami E, Nagamura Y, Shibuya N, Yasuda M, Nakashita H, Umemura K, Okada A, Okada K, Nojiri H, Yamane H (2008) Characterization of an elicitor-induced rice WRKY gene, OsWRKY71. Biosci Biotech Biochem 72:240–245

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Datta K, Velazhahan R, Oliva N, Ona I, Mew T, Khush GS, Muthukrishnan S, Datta SK (1999) Over-expression of the cloned rice thaumatin-like protein (PR-5) gene in transgenic rice plants enhances environmental friendly resistance to Rhizoctonia sonali causing sheath blight disease. Theor Appl Genet 98:1138–1145

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eulgem T, Rushton PJ, Schmelzer E, Hahlbrock K, Somssich IE (1999) Early nuclear events in plant defense signaling: rapid gene activation by WRKY transcription factors. EMBO J 18:4689–4699

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eulgem T, Rushton PJ, Robatzek S, Schmelzer IE (2000) The WRKY superfamily of plant transcription factors. Trends Plant Sci 5:199–206

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ganesan V, Thomas G (2001) Salicylic acid response in rice: influence of salicylic acid on H2O2 accumulation and oxidative stress. Plant Sci 160:1095–1106

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hiei Y, Ohta S, Komari T, Kumashiro T (1994) Efficient transformation of rice (Oryza sativa L.) mediated by Agrobacterium and sequence analysis of the boundaries of the T-DNA. Plant J 6:271–282

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jefferson RA, Kavanagh TA, Bevan MW (1987) GUS fusions: β-glucronidase as a sensitive and versatile gene fusion marker in higher plant. EMBO J 6:3901–3907

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kanzaki H, Nirasawa S, Saitoh H, Ito M, Nishihara M, Terauchi R, Nakamura I (2002) Overexpressing of wasabi defensin gene confers enhanced resistance to blast fungus (Magnaporthe grisea) in transgenic rice. Theor Appl Genet 105:809–814

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim CY, Lee SH, Park HC, Bae CG, Cheong YH, Choi YJ, Han C, Lee SY, Lim CO, Cho MJ (2000) Identification of rice blast fungal elicitor-responsive genes by differential display analysis. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 13:470–474

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Koga J, Oshima K, Ogawa N, Ogasawara N, Shimura M (1998) A new bioassay for measuring elicitor activity in rice leaves. Annu Phytopathol Soc Jpn 64:97–101

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee MW, Qi M, Yang Y (2001) A novel jasmonic acid inducible rice myb gene associates with fungal infection and host cell death. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 14:527–535

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu YG, Mitsukawa N, Oosumi T, Whittier RF (1995) Efficient isolation and mapping of Arabidopsis thaliana T-DNA insert junctions by thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR. Plant J 8:457–463

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lois R, Dietrich A, Hahlbrock K, Schulz W (1989) A phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene from parsley: structure, regulation and identification of elicitor and light responsive cis-acting elements. EMBO J 88:1641–1648

    Google Scholar 

  • Malehorn DE, Borgmeyer JR, Smith CE, Shah DM (1994) Characterization and expression of an antifungal zeamatin-like protein (Zlp) gene from Zea mays. Plant Physiol 106:1471–1481

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mauch F, Kmecl A, Schaffrath U, Volrath S, Gorlach J, Ward E, Ryals J, Dudler R (1997) Mechanosensitive expression of a lipoxygenase gene in wheat. Plant Physiol 114:1561–1566

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Niki T, Mitsuhara I, Seo S, Ohtsubo N, Ohashi Y (1998) Antagonistic effect of salicylic acid and jasmonic acid on the expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) protein genes in wounded mature tobacco leaves. Plant Cell Physiol 39:500–507

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nishizawa Y, Kawakami A, Hibi T, He DY, Shibuya N, Minami E (1999) Regulation of the chitinase gene expression in suspension-cultured rice cells by N-acetylchitooligosaccharides: differences in the signal transduction pathways leading to the activation of elicitor-responsive genes. Plant Mol Biol 39:907–914

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ochman H, Gerber AS, Hartl DL (1988) Genetic applications of an inverse polymerase chain reaction. Genetics 120:621–625

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ohme-Takagi M, Shinshi H (1995) Ethylene-inducible DNA binding proteins that interact with an ethylene-responsive element. Plant Cell 7:173–182

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pieterse SM, van Loon LC (1999) Salicylic acid-independent plant defense pathways. Trends Plant Sci 4:52–58

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rao MV, Paliyath G, Ormrod DP, Murr DP, Watkins CB (1997) Influence of salicylic acid on H2O2-metabolizing enzymes. Plant Physiol 115:137–149

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ros CA, Liu Y, Shen QJ (2007) The WRKY gene family in rice (Oryza sativa). J Integ Plant Biol 49:827–842

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rushton PJ, Torres JT, Parkinske M, Wernert P, Hahlbrock K, Somssich IE (1996) Interaction of elicitor-induced DNA-binding proteins with elicitor response elements in the promoters of parsley PR1 genes. EMBO J 15:5690–5700

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ryu HS, Han M, Lee AK, Cho JI, Ryoo N, Heu S, Lee YH, Bhoo SH, Wang GL, Hahn SH, Jeon JS (2006) A comprehensive expression analysis of the WRKY gene superfamily in rice plants during defense response. Plant Cell Rep 25:836–847

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sambrook J, Fritsch EF, Manniatis T (1989) Molucular cloning: a laboratory manual. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor

    Google Scholar 

  • Schenk PM, Kazan K, Wilson I, Anderson P, Richmond T, Somerville SC, Manners JM (2000) Coordinated plant defense responses in Arabidopsis revealed by microarray analysis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97:11655–11660

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shimono M, Sugano S, Nakayama A, Jiang CJ, Ono K, Toki S, Takatsuji H (2007) Rice WRKY45 plays a crucial role in benzothiadiazole-inducible blast resistance. Plant Cell 19:2064–2076

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shure M, Wessler S, Fedoroff N (1983) Molecular identification and isolation of the Waxy locus in maize. Cell 35:225–233

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silverman P, Seskar M, Kanter D, Schweitzer P, Metraux J-P, Raskin I (1995) Plant Physiol 108:633–639

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schweitzer P, Buchala A, Silverman P, Seskar M, Raskin I., Metraux J-P (1997) Jasmonate-inducible genes are activated in rice by pathogen attack without a concomitant increase in endogenous jasmonic acid levels. Plant Physiol 114:79–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka A, Mita S, Ohta S, Kyozuka J, Shimamoto K, Nakamura K (1990) Enhancement of foreign gene expression by a dicot intron in rice but not in tobacco is correlated with an increased level of mRNA and an efficient splicing of the intron. Nucleic Acids Res 18:6767–6770

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Terauchi R, kahl G (2000) Rapid isolation of promoter sequences by TAIL-PCR: the 5′-flanking regions of Pal and Pgi genes from yams (Dioscorea). Mol Gen Genet 263:554–560

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Toriyama K, Hinata K (1985) Cell suspension and protoplast culture in rice. Plant Sci 41:179–183

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vigers AJ, Roberts WK, Selitrennikoff CP (1991) A new family of plant antifungal proteins. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 4:315–323

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vigers AJ, Wiedemann S, Roberts WK, Legrand M, Selitrennikoff CP, Fritig B (1992) Thaumatin-like pathogesis-related proteins are antifungal. Plant Sci 83:155–161

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu Y, Zhu Q, Panbangred W, Shirasu K, Lamb C (1996) Regulation, expression and function of a new basic chitinase gene in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Plant Mol Biol 30:387–401

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang Y, Qi M (2000) Potential role salicylic acid in maintaining redox balance of rice plants. Phytopathology 90:S86

    Google Scholar 

  • Yun DJ, Ibeas JI, Lee H, Coca MA, Narashimhan ML, Uesono Y, Hasegawa PM, Bressan R (1998) Osmotin, a plant antifungal protein, subverts signal transduction to enhance fungal cell susceptibility. Mol Cell 1:807–817

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang S, Chen Lili, Qu R, Marmey P, Beachy R, Fauquet C (1996) Regeneration of fertile transgenic indica (group 1) rice plants following microprojectile transformation of embryogenic suspension culture cells. Plant Cell Rep 15:465–469

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. I Somssich (Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Germany) for kindly supplying pBT-35S-WRKY1 plasmid. Thanks are extended to Ms. M Fujiwara (Iwate Agricultural Research Center) for assistance in producing transgenic rice plants. We are grateful to Dr. S Koizumi (Tohoku Agricultural Research Center MAFF) for the kind supply of rice blast fungal races. We would like to thank to Dr. I. Nakamura of Graduate School of Science and Technology, Chiba University for excellent advise.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, 22-174-4 Narita, Kitakami, Iwate, 024-0003, Japan

    Kanzaki Hiroyuki & Ryohei Terauchi

Authors
  1. Kanzaki Hiroyuki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ryohei Terauchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kanzaki Hiroyuki.

Additional information

Communicated by K. Toriyama.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hiroyuki, K., Terauchi, R. Regulation of expression of rice thaumatin-like protein: inducibility by elicitor requires promoter W-box elements. Plant Cell Rep 27, 1521–1528 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-008-0536-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-008-0536-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation