1. Plant Biology
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A host basal transcription factor is a key component for infection of rice by TALE-carrying bacteria

  1. Meng Yuan  Is a corresponding author
  2. Yingen Ke
  3. Renyan Huang
  4. Ling Ma
  5. Zeyu Yang
  6. Zhaohui Chu
  7. Jinghua Xiao
  8. Xianghua Li
  9. Shiping Wang  Is a corresponding author
  1. Huazhong Agricultural University, China
  2. Shandong Agricultural University, China
Research Article
  • Cited 60
  • Views 2,713
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Cite this article as: eLife 2016;5:e19605 doi: 10.7554/eLife.19605

Abstract

Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) are sequence-specific DNA binding proteins found in a range of plant pathogenic bacteria, where they play important roles in host-pathogen interactions. However, it has been unclear how TALEs, after they have been injected into the host cells, activate transcription of host genes required for infection success. Here, we show that the basal transcription factor IIA gamma subunit TFIIAγ5 from rice is a key component for infection by the TALE-carrying bacterium Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, the causal agent for bacterial blight. Direct interaction of several TALEs with TFIIAγ5 is required for activation of disease susceptibility genes. Conversely, reduced expression of the TFIIAγ5 host gene limits the induction of susceptibility genes and thus decreases bacterial blight symptoms. Suppression or mutation of TFIIAγ5 can also reduce bacterial streak, another devastating disease of rice caused by TALE-carrying X. oryzae pv. oryzicola. These results have important implications for formulating a widely applicable strategy with which to improve resistance of plants to TALE-carrying pathogens.

Article and author information

Author details

  1. Meng Yuan

    National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
    For correspondence
    myuan@mail.hzau.edu.cn
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  2. Yingen Ke

    National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  3. Renyan Huang

    National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  4. Ling Ma

    National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  5. Zeyu Yang

    National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  6. Zhaohui Chu

    State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, China
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0001-8320-7872

  7. Jinghua Xiao

    National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  8. Xianghua Li

    National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  9. Shiping Wang

    National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
    For correspondence
    swang@mail.hzau.edu.cn
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0002-8743-3129

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (31330062)

  • Shiping Wang

National Natural Science Foundation of China (31100875)

  • Meng Yuan

National Natural Science Foundation of China (31371926)

  • Meng Yuan

Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (2012CB114005)

  • Meng Yuan
  • Shiping Wang

Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (2014PY039)

  • Meng Yuan

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

Reviewing Editor

  1. Thorsten Nürnberger, University of Tubingen, Germany

Publication history

  1. Received: July 13, 2016
  2. Accepted: July 21, 2016
  3. Accepted Manuscript published: July 29, 2016 (version 1)
  4. Version of Record published: August 22, 2016 (version 2)
  5. Version of Record updated: October 10, 2017 (version 3)

Copyright

© 2016, Yuan et al.

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.

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