Project description:Background: Witches’ broom disease of Mexican lime (Citrus aurantifolia L.), which is caused by the phytoplasma “Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia”, is a devastating disease that results in significant economic losses. Plants adapt to abiotic stresses by regulating gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a recently identified family of molecules that regulate plant responses to environmental stresses through post-transcriptional gene silencing. Methods: Using a high-throughput approach to sequence small RNAs, we compared the expression profiles of miRNAs in healthy Mexican lime trees and in plants infected with “Ca. Phytoplasma aurantifolia”. Results: Our results demonstrated the involvement of different miRNAs in the response of Mexican lime trees to infection by “Ca. Phytoplasma aurantifolia”. We identified miRNA families that are expressed differentially upon infection with phytoplasmas. Most of the miRNAs had variants with small sequence variations (isomiRs), which are expressed differentially in response to pathogen infection. Conclusions: It is likely that the miRNAs that are expressed differentially in healthy and phytoplasma-infected Mexican lime trees are involved in coordinating the regulation of hormonal, nutritional, and stress signalling pathways, and the complex interactions between them. Future research to elucidate the roles of these miRNAs should improve our understanding of the level of diversity of specific plant responses to phytoplasmas.
Project description:Background: WitchesM-bM-^@M-^Y broom disease of Mexican lime (Citrus aurantifolia L.), which is caused by the phytoplasma M-bM-^@M-^\Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifoliaM-bM-^@M-^], is a devastating disease that results in significant economic losses. Plants adapt to abiotic stresses by regulating gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a recently identified family of molecules that regulate plant responses to environmental stresses through post-transcriptional gene silencing. Methods: Using a high-throughput approach to sequence small RNAs, we compared the expression profiles of miRNAs in healthy Mexican lime trees and in plants infected with M-bM-^@M-^\Ca. Phytoplasma aurantifoliaM-bM-^@M-^]. Results: Our results demonstrated the involvement of different miRNAs in the response of Mexican lime trees to infection by M-bM-^@M-^\Ca. Phytoplasma aurantifoliaM-bM-^@M-^]. We identified miRNA families that are expressed differentially upon infection with phytoplasmas. Most of the miRNAs had variants with small sequence variations (isomiRs), which are expressed differentially in response to pathogen infection. Conclusions: It is likely that the miRNAs that are expressed differentially in healthy and phytoplasma-infected Mexican lime trees are involved in coordinating the regulation of hormonal, nutritional, and stress signalling pathways, and the complex interactions between them. Future research to elucidate the roles of these miRNAs should improve our understanding of the level of diversity of specific plant responses to phytoplasmas. Small mRNA profiles of healthy (H) and Phytoplasma-infected Mexican lime trees were generated by deep sequencing, six replicate, using Illumina Hiseq2000
Project description:PAM765 encodes the secretory protein of a phytopathogenic bacterium, Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris. To investigate the influence of PAM765 expression on the transcription profile of a host plant, we identified differences in the gene expression profiles between PAM765-transgenic and GUS-transgenic Arabidopsis plants using microarray analysis.
Project description:PAM765 encodes the secretory protein of a phytopathogenic bacterium, Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris. To investigate the influence of PAM765 expression on the transcription profile of a host plant, we identified differences in the gene expression profiles between PAM765-transgenic and GUS-transgenic Arabidopsis plants using microarray analysis. Three independent transgenic lines were harvested from 2-week-old tengu- or GUS-transgenic plants, and were used for microarray analysis.