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Comparative transcription profiling analyses of maize reveals candidate defensive genes for seedling resistance against corn earworm

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Abstract

As maize seedlings germinate into the soil, they encounter an environment teeming with insects seeking rich sources of nutrition. Maize presumably has developed a number of molecular mechanisms to ensure survival at the beginning of its life cycle. Comparative transcription analysis using microarrays was utilized to document the expression of a number of genes with potential defensive functions in seedling tissue. In addition to elevated levels of the genes involved in the biosynthesis of DIMBOA (2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one), an anti-insect resistance molecule, other highly expressed genes in the seedling encode the following putative defensive proteins: defensin, hydroxyproline and proline-rich protein, thaumatin-like protein, lipase, cystatin, protease inhibitor, and a variety of proteases. The potential resistance genes identified occurred mainly on chromosomes 1 and 5 in the B73 genome. Analysis of promoters of seven DIMBOA biosynthetic genes identified three transcription factor binding sites that are possibly involved in regulation of the DIMBOA biosynthetic pathway. The results indicate that maize employs a wide variety of potential resistance mechanisms in seedling tissue to resist a possible insect attack.

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Acknowledgments

We thank David Lee, Mark Doehring, and Dr. Menggen Ma for technical assistance. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this article is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the US Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation Plant Genome Research Initiative (No. 0820367 to ROM) for statistical software.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Crop Bioprotection Research Unit, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, IL, 61604, USA

    Eric T. Johnson & Patrick F. Dowd

  2. Bioenergy Research Unit, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, IL, 61604, USA

    Z. Lewis Liu

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL, 61455, USA

    Richard O. Musser

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  1. Eric T. Johnson
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  2. Patrick F. Dowd
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Correspondence to Eric T. Johnson.

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Communicated by R. Waugh.

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Supplementary material 4 (DOC 200 kb) Supplementary Figure 4: Cluster analysis of maize genes up- and down-regulated in seedlings (T0), 4-leaf (T1), or 6-leaf shoots (T2). The dendrogram on top of the cluster illustrates the relationship among the three life stages. Log 2 scaled ratio values were calculated between the three life stages. Genes up-regulated appear in red (positive log-ratio values), and those that were down-regulated appear in blue (negative log-ratio values). Each row along the three columns corresponds to a single gene, and a color scale is presented below the figure

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Johnson, E.T., Dowd, P.F., Liu, Z.L. et al. Comparative transcription profiling analyses of maize reveals candidate defensive genes for seedling resistance against corn earworm. Mol Genet Genomics 285, 517–525 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00438-011-0626-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00438-011-0626-z

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