TAL effector driven induction of a SWEET gene confers susceptibility to bacterial blight of cotton

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 15588 - 14
• Main Authors: Cox, Kevin L., Meng, Fanhong, Wilkins, Katherine E., Li, Fangjun, Wang, Ping, Booher, Nicholas J., Carpenter, Sara C. D., Chen, Li-Qing, Zheng, Hui, Gao, Xiquan, Zheng, Yi, Fei, Zhangjun, Yu, John Z., Isakeit, Thomas, Wheeler, Terry, Frommer, Wolf B., He, Ping, Bogdanove, Adam J., Shan, Libo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 24.05.2017; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 45/23; 45/88; 45/91; 631/449/1659; 631/449/2169/2673; Cotton; Genes; Genomes; Genomics; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Pathogens; Plant biology; Plant pathology; Proteins; Rice; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Virulence; New York; United States > US; Texas; Illinois
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15588

Transcription activator-like (TAL) effectors from Xanthomonas citri subsp. malvacearum ( Xcm ) are essential for bacterial blight of cotton (BBC). Here, by combining transcriptome profiling with TAL effector-binding element (EBE) prediction, we show that GhSWEET10 , encoding a functional sucrose transporter, is induced by Avrb6, a TAL effector determining Xcm pathogenicity. Activation of GhSWEET10 by designer TAL effectors (dTALEs) restores virulence of Xcm avrb6 deletion strains, whereas silencing of GhSWEET10 compromises cotton susceptibility to infections. A BBC-resistant line carrying an unknown recessive b6 gene bears the same EBE as the susceptible line, but Avrb6-mediated induction of GhSWEET10 is reduced, suggesting a unique mechanism underlying b6 -mediated resistance. We show via an extensive survey of GhSWEET transcriptional responsiveness to different Xcm field isolates that additional GhSWEETs may also be involved in BBC. These findings advance our understanding of the disease and resistance in cotton and may facilitate the development cotton with improved resistance to BBC. Transcription activator-like effectors contribute to virulence of the Xanthomonas strain responsible for bacterial blight in cotton. Here Cox et al . show that the Xanthomonas Avrb6 effector induces expression of the cotton SWEET10 sugar transporter and that this induction promotes disease.