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TaFLRS, a novel mitogen-activated protein kinase in wheat defence responses

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Abstract

Plants respond to biotic and abiotic stresses through the activation and coordination of various signalling pathways. The activation often requires the phosphorylation of proteins. In this study, we have identified the wheat TaFLRS MAP kinase (Fusarium and Leaf Rust Sensitive) gene that was upregulated in a wheat EST (expressed sequence tag) array analysis following a wheat-leaf rust interactive challenge. Our results demonstrate that TaFLRS is transcriptionally upregulated in incompatible interactions involving wheat and leaf rust and Fusarium graminearum, suggesting that this MAPK maybe involved in defence responses to these wheat pathogens. RT-PCR revealed that TaFLRS transcript levels are not altered by salicylic acid (SA) treatment. However, immunoprecipitation and western blotting analysis show that phosphorylation of TaFLRS at the TEY motif was enhanced by SA in the Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistant cultivar Frontana following challenge with the FHB pathogen. The role of TaFLRS MAP kinase in defence responses in wheat is discussed.

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Abbreviations

FHB:

Fusarium head blight

HR:

hypersensitive response

MAPK:

mitogen-activated protein kinase

PR gene:

pathogenesis-related gene

SA:

salicylic acid.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Agricultural Bioproducts Innovation Program (ABIP) to D.G., A.L., and T.X., NSERC Discovery Grant to T.X. We thank Dr. Jeannie Gilbert, Dr. Brent McCallum, and Dr. Thérèse Ouellet in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology and Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1S 5B6

    Yan Gao, Xinwei Liu & Tim Xing

  2. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Cereal Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2M9

    Jo-Ann Stebbing & Daifen He

  3. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Centre, Lethbridge, AB, Canada, T1J 4B1

    André Laroche & Denis Gaudet

Authors
  1. Yan Gao
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  2. Xinwei Liu
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  3. Jo-Ann Stebbing
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  4. Daifen He
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  5. André Laroche
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  6. Denis Gaudet
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  7. Tim Xing
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Correspondence to Tim Xing.

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Gao, Y., Liu, X., Stebbing, JA. et al. TaFLRS, a novel mitogen-activated protein kinase in wheat defence responses. Eur J Plant Pathol 131, 643–651 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-011-9837-8

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