Abstract
Biotic stresses can induce disease when plant immune systems are compromised. Numerous resistance genes are triggered by pathogen effectors, forming plant immunity cascades that protect plants from damage. However, the resistance genes and defense signaling pathways of poplars against the rust fungus Melampsora spp. are unclear. Melampsora larici-populina race C2 was inoculated on race-compatible ( Populus purdomii ) and race-incompatible ( Populus szechuanica ) poplar species, respectively, for transcriptome analysis. Expression patterns of defense-related genes were determined, followed by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to extract key defense modules. Thirteen gene families associated with defense mechanisms were identified along with members from 17 pathogenesis-related gene families. WGCNA identified regulatory networks that involve ERF and WRKY transcription factors. Among them, PsERF117 can bind to the GCC-box in the PsPR10.18 promoter region to activate expression. Reduced PR10.18 expression potentially impairs RNase activity, thereby decreasing rust resistance. Knocking out PsERF117 in race-incompatible P. szechuanica weakened the hypersensitive response and reduced reactive oxygen species production, while overexpressing PsERF117 in rust-compatible poplar enhanced resistance to M. magnusiana . PsERF117 can also enhance poplar resistance by upregulating other defense-related genes. PsERF117 confers resistance to rust fungus in poplar through multiple regulatory pathways, establishing a potential candidate for resistance breeding programs. Following infection by the rust fungus, transcription of PsERF117 is induced. PsERF117 positively regulates the expression of PsPR10.18 by binding to its promoter, and simultaneously promoting the expression of DOX1, 4CL2, WRKY83 , and so on. Subsequently, the elevated PR10.18 RNase activity and the triggering of HR jointly contribute to poplar resistance against rust fungi. • WGCNA uncovered ERF and WRKY transcription factors at the core of a signaling cascade in poplars. • PsERF117 binds the GCC-box to activate PsPR10.18, and enhances rust resistance. • This article summarizes the possible pathways of action of PsERF117.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Thirteen defense-associated gene families were identified.
- Outcome
- Thirteen gene families associated with defense mechanismse0
PopulusOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“poplar”
e0“Thirteen gene families associated with defense mechanisms were identified along with members from 17 pathogenesis-related gene families”
Claim · model-written summary
Members of 17 pathogenesis-related gene families were identified.
- Outcome
- members from 17 pathogenesis-related gene familiese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“poplar”
e0“members from 17 pathogenesis-related gene families”
Claim · model-written summary
WGCNA identified networks involving ERF and WRKY transcription factors.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“poplar”
e0“WGCNA identified regulatory networks that involve ERF and WRKY transcription factors”
Claim · model-written summary
PsERF117 binds the PsPR10.18 promoter GCC-box and activates expression.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“poplar”
e0“PsERF117 can bind to the GCC-box in the PsPR10.18 promoter region to activate expression”
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced PR10.18 expression may impair RNase activity and decrease rust resistance.
- Gene
- PR10.18e0
- Outcome
- rust resistancee0
- Direction
- decreasinge0
- Qualifier
- potentially impairs RNase activitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“poplar”
e0“Reduced PR10.18 expression potentially impairs RNase activity, thereby decreasing rust resistance”
Claim · model-written summary
PsERF117 knockout weakened the hypersensitive response in P. szechuanica.
- Taxon
- P. szechuanicaPopulus szechuanicae0
- Treatment
- Knocking out PsERF117e0
- Gene
- PsERF117e0
- Outcome
- hypersensitive responsee0
- Direction
- weakenede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Knocking out PsERF117 in race-incompatible P. szechuanica weakened the hypersensitive response and reduced reactive oxygen species production”
Claim · model-written summary
PsERF117 knockout reduced reactive oxygen species production in P. szechuanica.
- Taxon
- P. szechuanicaPopulus szechuanicae0
- Treatment
- Knocking out PsERF117e0
- Gene
- PsERF117e0
- Outcome
- reactive oxygen species productione0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Knocking out PsERF117 in race-incompatible P. szechuanica weakened the hypersensitive response and reduced reactive oxygen species production”
Claim · model-written summary
PsERF117 overexpression enhanced rust resistance in poplar.
- Treatment
- overexpressing PsERF117e0
- Interactor
- M. magnusiana
.jpeg?width=60)
Melampsora magnusianae0pathogen - Gene
- PsERF117e0
- Outcome
- resistance to M. magnusianae0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpeg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“overexpressing PsERF117 in rust-compatible poplar enhanced resistance to M. magnusiana”
Claim · model-written summary
PsERF117 upregulates other defense genes to enhance poplar resistance.
- Gene
- PsERF117e0
- Outcome
- poplar resistancee0
- Direction
- enhancee0
- Qualifier
- upregulating other defense-related genese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“PsERF117 can also enhance poplar resistance by upregulating other defense-related genes”
Claim · model-written summary
Rust infection induced PsERF117 transcription.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“poplar”
e0“Following infection by the rust fungus, transcription of PsERF117 is induced”
Claim · model-written summary
PsERF117 promotes expression of DOX1, 4CL2, and WRKY83.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“poplar”
e0“promoting the expression of DOX1, 4CL2, WRKY83”