Multicopper oxidases GbAO and GbSKS are involved in the Verticillium dahliae resistance in Gossypium barbadense

• Published in: Journal of plant physiology Vol. 280; p. 153887
• Main Authors: Wang, Fei, Lu, Tianxin, Zhu, Liping, Cao, Aiping, Xie, Shuangquan, Chen, Xifeng, Shen, Haitao, Xie, Quanliang, Li, Rong, Zhu, Jianbo, Jin, Xiang, Li, Hongbin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Elsevier GmbH 01.01.2023
• Subjects: Ascomycota - metabolism; Ascorbate oxidase; Ascorbate Oxidase - metabolism; Cell wall; Comparative transcriptomics; Disease Resistance - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Gossypium - genetics; Gossypium - metabolism; Gossypium barbadense; Hydrogen Peroxide - metabolism; Multicopper oxidases; Oxidoreductases - genetics; Oxidoreductases - metabolism; Plant Diseases - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Verticillium dahliae resistance; Multicopper oxidases; Comparative transcriptomics; Ascorbate oxidase; Gossypium barbadense; Verticillium dahliae resistance; Cell wall
• ISSN: 0176-1617; 1618-1328
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2022.153887

Ascorbate oxidase (AO) and skewed5 (SKU5)-similar (SKS) proteins belong to the multicopper oxidase (MCO) family and play important roles in plants in response to environmental stress via modulation of oxidoreduction homeostasis. Currently, reports on the response of Gossypium barbadense MCO to Verticillium wilt (VW) caused by Verticillium dahliae are still limited. Herein, RNA sequencing of two G. barbadense cultivars of VW-resistant XH21 and VW-susceptible XH7 under V. dahliae treatment, combined with physiological and genetic analysis, was performed to analyze the function and mechanism of multicopper oxidases GbAO and GbSKS involved in V. dahliae resistance. The identified differentially expressed genes are mainly involved in the regulation of oxidoreduction reaction, and extracellular components and signaling. Interestingly, ascorbate oxidase family members were discovered as the most significantly upregulated genes after V. dahliae treatment, including GbAO3A/D, GbSKS3A/D, and GbSKS16A/D. H2O2 and Asc contents, especially reductive Asc in both XH21 and XH7, were shown to be increased. Silenced expression of respective GbAO3A/D, GbSKS3A/D, and GbSKS16A/D in virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) cotton plants significantly decreased the resistance to V. dahliae, coupled with the reduced contents of pectin and lignin. Our results indicate that AO might be involved in cotton VW resistance via the regulation of cell wall components. •Comparative transcriptomes of Verticillium dahliae-treated Gossypium barbadense were analyzed.•Ascorbate oxidases were the most significantly up-regulated genes to V. dahliae.•Silenced expression of GbAO and GbSKS decreased cotton resistance to V. dahliae.