Browsing by Author "Hamamouch, Noureddine"
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- Engineering Resistance to Orobanche aegyptiaca: Evidence of Sarcotoxin IA as an Anti-Parasite Protein and Macromolecule Movement From Host to ParasiteHamamouch, Noureddine (Virginia Tech, 2004-01-13)Orobanche species are parasitic weeds that subsist on the roots of many dicotyledonous plants. These parasites form symplastic and apoplastic connections with their hosts and act as strong sinks for the uptake of water, minerals, and photosynthates, often causing severe damage to the hosts. Although the uptake of small molecules such as sugars and herbicides by Orobanche has been documented, movement of macromolecules between host and parasite has not been characterized. The objectives of this research were to 1) determine whether, and by what route, host macromolecules can be translocated to the parasite, and 2) engineer host resistance based on inducible expression of sarcotoxin IA, an anti-microbial peptide from the flesh fly (Sarcophaga peregrina). To address the first objective, transgenic plants expressing GFP localized to either the host cell cytosol (symplast) or secreted to the extra-cellular space (apoplast) were parasitized by O. aegyptiaca. Observations of green fluorescence in O. aegyptiaca tubercles growing on these plants indicate that the 27 kDa GFP molecule was translocated to the parasite via both symplastic and apoplastic routes. This work was supported by studies with xylem- and phloem-specific dyes, which showed that fluorescent dextrans as large as 70 kDa moved into the parasite through xylem connections. The second objective was addressed using tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Xanthi) plants expressing the sarcotoxin IA transgene under control of the parasite-inducible HMG2 promoter. In soil experiments, transgenic tobacco plants had greater height and biomass, and showed up to 90% reduction in O. ramosa parasitism as measured by the fresh weight of parasite tubercles. In a semi-hydroponic growth system, where Orobanche tubercles can be visualized at early stages of growth, O. aegyptiaca parasites growing on plants expressing sarcotoxin IA were smaller and had an increased number of senescent tubercles compared to those growing on non-transformed plants. Considering the relatively small size of sarcotoxin IA (4 kDa), it is likely that this peptide moves from host to the parasite, where it accumulates to phytotoxic concentrations. In addition to increasing our knowledge of host-Orobanche interactions, this research used an antibiotic peptide to engineer partial Orobanche resistance into a highly susceptible crop. This strategy has broad implications for the control of other parasitic weeds.
- Modulation of Arabidopsis Flavonol Biosynthesis Genes by Cyst and Root-Knot NematodesHamamouch, Noureddine; Winkel, Brenda S. J.; Li, Chunying; Davis, Eric L. (MDPI, 2020-02-17)Although it is well established that flavonoid synthesis is induced in diverse plant species during nematode parasitism, little is known about the regulation of genes controlling flavonol biosynthesis during the plant–nematode interaction. In this study, expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana flavonol-specific transcription factor, AtMYB12, the flavonol synthase genes, AtFLS1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the gene encoding the central flavonoid enzyme, chalcone synthase (AtCHS), were examined in plant roots during infection by Heterodera schachtii (sugar beet cyst) and Meloidogyne incognita (root-knot) nematodes. These experiments showed that AtMYB12 was transiently upregulated at 9 dpi in syncytia associated with sugar beet cyst nematode infection and that an Atmyb12-deficient line was less susceptible to the parasite. This suggests that, rather than contributing to plant defense, this gene is essential for productive infection. However, the AtCHS and AtFLS1 genes, which are controlled by AtMYB12, did not exhibit a similar transient increase, but rather were expressly downregulated in syncytia relative to adjacent uninfected root tissue. Genetic analyses further indicated that AtFLS1 contributes to plant defense against Cyst nematode infection, while other AtFLS gene family members do not, consistent with prior reports that these other genes encode little or no enzyme activity. Together, these findings indicate a role of AtMyb12 in promoting the early stages of Cyst nematode infection, while flavonols produced through the action of AtFLS1 are essential for plant defense. On the other hand, a transient induction of AtMYB12 was not observed in galls produced during root-knot nematode infection, but this gene was instead substantially downregulated, starting at the 9 dpi sampling point, as were AtCHS and AtFLS1. In addition, both the AtMYB12- and AtFLS1-deficient lines were more susceptible to infection by this parasite. There was again little evidence for contributions from the other AtFLS gene family members, although an AtFLS5-deficient line appeared to be somewhat more susceptible to infection. Taken together, this study shows that sugar-beet cyst and root-knot nematodes modulate differently the genes involved in flavonol biosynthesis in order to successfully infect host roots and that AtFLS1 may be involved in the plant basal defense response against nematode infection.