Dicer-like proteins and their role in plant-herbivore interactions in Nicotiana attenuata

ABSTRACT: DICER-like proteins produce small RNAs that silence genes involved in development and defenses against viruses and pathogens. Which DCLs participate in plant-herbivore interactions remains unstudied. We identified four distinct DCL genes and stably silenced their expression by RNAi in Nicotiana attenuata, a model system for the study of plant-herbivore interactions. Silencing DCL1 expression was lethal to the plants. Manduca sexta larvae performed significantly better on ir-dcl3and ir-dcl4 plants, but not on ir-dcl2 plants compared to wild type plants. Phytohormones, defense metabolites and microarray analyses revealed that when DCL3 and DCL4 were silenced separately, herbivore resistance traits were regulated in distinctly different ways. Crossing of the lines revealed complex interactions in the patterns of regulation. Single ir-dcl4 and double ir-dcl2/ ir-dcl3 plants were impaired in JA accumulation, while JA-Ile was increased in ir-dcl3 plants. Ir-dcl3 and ir-dcl4 plants were impaired in nicotine accumulation; silencing DCL2 in combination with either DCL3 or DCL4 restored nicotine levels to those of WT. Trypsin proteinase inhibitor activity and transcripts were only silenced in ir-dcl3 plants. We conclude that DCL2/3/4 interact in a complex manner to regulate anti-herbivore defenses and that these interactions significantly complicate the already challenging task of understanding smRNA function in the regulation of biotic interactions. Gene expression in leaves of Nicotiana attenuata wild type, irDCL3 and irDCL4 plants was measured at 1 hour after elicitation with oral secretions of Manduca sexta larvae. Three independent experiments were performed with wild type plants and three independent experiments were performed with irDCL3 and irDCL4 plants. A total of 811 genes were identified as differentially regulated in irDCL3 and irDCL4 compared to wild type plants.

ORGANISM(S): Nicotiana attenuata

SUBMITTER: Klaus Gase 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-30124 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress