Functional analysis of a wheat homeodomain protein, TaR1, reveals that host chromatin remodelling influences the dynamics of the switch to necrotrophic growth in the phytopathogenic fungus Zymoseptoria tritici

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Lee, J., Orosa, B., Millyard, L., Edwards, M., Kanyuka, K., Gatehouse, A., Rudd, J. J., Hammond-Kosack, K. E., Pain, N. and Sadanandom, A. 2015. Functional analysis of a wheat homeodomain protein, TaR1, reveals that host chromatin remodelling influences the dynamics of the switch to necrotrophic growth in the phytopathogenic fungus Zymoseptoria tritici. New Phytologist. 206 (2), pp. 598-605. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.13323

AuthorsLee, J., Orosa, B., Millyard, L., Edwards, M., Kanyuka, K., Gatehouse, A., Rudd, J. J., Hammond-Kosack, K. E., Pain, N. and Sadanandom, A.
Abstract

A distinguishing feature of Septoria leaf blotch disease in wheat is the long symptomless growth of the fungus amongst host cells followed by a rapid transition to necrotrophic growth resulting in disease lesions. Global reprogramming of host transcription marks this switch to necrotrophic growth. However no information exists on the components that bring about host transcriptional reprogramming. Gene-silencing, confocal-imaging and protein-protein interaction assays where employed to identify a plant homeodomain (PHD) protein, TaR1 in wheat that plays a critical role during the transition from symptomless to necrotrophic growth of Septoria. TaR1-silenced wheat show earlier symptom development upon Septoria infection but reduced fungal sporulation indicating that TaR1 is key for prolonging the symptomless phase and facilitating Septoria asexual reproduction. TaR1 is localized to the nucleus and binds to wheat Histone 3. Trimethylation of Histone 3 at lysine 4 (H3K4) and lysine 36 (H3K36) are found on open chromatin with actively transcribed genes, whereas methylation of H3K27 and H3K9 are associated with repressed loci. TaR1 specifically recognizes dimethylated and trimethylated H3K4 peptides suggesting that it regulates transcriptional activation at open chromatin. We conclude that TaR1 is an important component for the pathogen life cycle in wheat that promotes successful colonization by Septoria.

KeywordsPlant Sciences
Year of Publication2015
JournalNew Phytologist
Journal citation206 (2), pp. 598-605
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.13323
PubMed ID25639381
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
FunderIndustrial CASE Studentship
Syngenta
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
European Research Council - ERC
Funder project or codeWheat
[20:20 Wheat] Protecting yield potential of wheat
Publisher's version
PublisherWiley
Grant IDBB/J/00426X/1
ISSN0028-646X

Permalink - https://repository.rothamsted.ac.uk/item/8qzv9/functional-analysis-of-a-wheat-homeodomain-protein-tar1-reveals-that-host-chromatin-remodelling-influences-the-dynamics-of-the-switch-to-necrotrophic-growth-in-the-phytopathogenic-fungus-zymoseptoria

110 total views
58 total downloads
0 views this month
1 downloads this month
Download files as zip