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Functional analysis of a Wheat Homeodomain protein, TaR1, reveals that host chromatin remodelling influences the dynamics of the switch to necrotrophic growth in the phytopathogenic fungus Zymoseptoria tritici

Lee, J.; Orosa, B.; Millyard, L.; Edwards, M.; Kanyuka, K.; Gatehouse, A.; Rudd, J.; Hammond-Kosack, K.; Pain, N.; Sadanandom, A.

Authors

J. Lee

B. Orosa

L. Millyard

M. Edwards

K. Kanyuka

A. Gatehouse

J. Rudd

K. Hammond-Kosack

N. Pain



Abstract

A distinguishing feature of Septoria leaf blotch disease in wheat is the long symptomless growth of the fungus amongst host cells followed by a rapid transition to necrotrophic growth resulting in disease lesions. Global reprogramming of host transcription marks this switch to necrotrophic growth. However no information exists on the components that bring about host transcriptional reprogramming. Gene-silencing, confocal-imaging and protein–protein interaction assays where employed to identify a plant homeodomain (PHD) protein, TaR1 in wheat that plays a critical role during the transition from symptomless to necrotrophic growth of Septoria. TaR1-silenced wheat show earlier symptom development upon Septoria infection but reduced fungal sporulation indicating that TaR1 is key for prolonging the symptomless phase and facilitating Septoria asexual reproduction. TaR1 is localized to the nucleus and binds to wheat Histone 3. Trimethylation of Histone 3 at lysine 4 (H3K4) and lysine 36 (H3K36) are found on open chromatin with actively transcribed genes, whereas methylation of H3K27 and H3K9 are associated with repressed loci. TaR1 specifically recognizes dimethylated and trimethylated H3K4 peptides suggesting that it regulates transcriptional activation at open chromatin. We conclude that TaR1 is an important component for the pathogen life cycle in wheat that promotes successful colonization by Septoria.

Citation

Lee, J., Orosa, B., Millyard, L., Edwards, M., Kanyuka, K., Gatehouse, A., …Sadanandom, A. (2015). Functional analysis of a Wheat Homeodomain protein, TaR1, reveals that host chromatin remodelling influences the dynamics of the switch to necrotrophic growth in the phytopathogenic fungus Zymoseptoria tritici. New Phytologist, 206(2), 598-605. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.13323

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jan 13, 2015
Online Publication Date Jan 30, 2015
Publication Date Apr 1, 2015
Deposit Date Sep 9, 2015
Journal New Phytologist
Print ISSN 0028-646X
Electronic ISSN 1469-8137
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 206
Issue 2
Pages 598-605
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.13323
Keywords Chromatin remodelling, Crops, Plant homeodomain, Plant pathogen, Septoria.