Project description:In order to study the role of piR_019914 in C28/I2 cells, we established piR_019914_mimics to overexpress piR_019914 in C28/I2 cells We then performed gene expression profiling analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq of piR_019914 overexpression C28/I2 cells and mimics_NC C28/I2 cells.
Project description:The parasitic lifestyle of parasitic plants relies on the development of a haustorium, a specific infectious organ required for attachment to host roots. While haustorium development is initiated upon chemodetection of host-derived molecules in hemiparasitic plants, the induction of haustorium formation remains largely misunderstood in holoparasitic species such as Phelipanche ramosa. This work demonstrates that the root exudates of the host plant Brassica napus contain allelochemicals displaying a haustorium-inducing activity on P. ramosa germinating seeds which increases the parasite aggressiveness. A de novo assembled P. ramosa transcriptome and a microarray approach during early haustorium formation upon treatment with B. napus root exudates allowed the identification of differentially expressed genes involved in hormone signaling. Bioassays using exogenous cytokinins and the specific cytokinin receptor inhibitor PI55 showed that cytokinins induced haustorium formation and increased parasite aggressiveness. Root exudates triggered the expression of cytokinin responsive genes during early haustorium development in germinated seeds and bio-guided UPLC-MS analysis showed that these exudates contain a cytokinin with dihydrozeatin characteristics. These results suggest that cytokinins constitutively exudated from host roots play a major role in haustorium formation and aggressiveness in P. ramosa.
