Systemin (SYS), an octadecapeptide hormone processed from a 200-amino-acid precursor (prosystemin, PS), plays a central role in the systemic activation of defense genes in tomato in response to herbivore and pathogen attacks. However, whether PS mRNA is transferable and its role in systemic defense responses remain unknown. We created the transgenic tomato PS gene tagged with the green fluorescent protein (PS-GFP) using a shoot- or root-specific promoter, and the constitutive 35S promoter in Arabidopsis. Subcellular localization of PS-/SYS-GFP was observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy and gene transcripts were determined using quantitative real-time PCR. In Arabidopsis, PS protein can be processed and SYS is secreted. Shoot-/root-specific expression of PS-GFP in Arabidopsis, and grafting experiments, revealed that the PS mRNA moves in a bi-directional manner. We also found that ectopic expression of PS improves Arabidopsis resistance to the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea, consistent with substantial upregulation of the transcript levels of specific pathogen-responsive genes. Our results provide novel insights into the multifaceted mechanism of SYS signaling transport and its potential application in genetic engineering for increasing pathogen resistance across diverse plant families.
- MeSH
- Arabidopsis účinky léků genetika mikrobiologie MeSH
- Botrytis účinky léků fyziologie MeSH
- fluorescence MeSH
- geneticky modifikované rostliny MeSH
- kořeny rostlin účinky léků genetika MeSH
- messenger RNA genetika metabolismus MeSH
- nemoci rostlin genetika mikrobiologie MeSH
- odolnost vůči nemocem účinky léků genetika MeSH
- peptidy farmakologie MeSH
- proteolýza účinky léků MeSH
- regulace genové exprese u rostlin účinky léků MeSH
- rostlinné proteiny genetika metabolismus MeSH
- semenáček účinky léků růst a vývoj fyziologie MeSH
- Solanum lycopersicum mikrobiologie MeSH
- subcelulární frakce metabolismus MeSH
- transport RNA účinky léků genetika MeSH
- výhonky rostlin účinky léků genetika MeSH
- zelené fluorescenční proteiny metabolismus MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
