Induced Expression of a Temperature-Sensitive Leucine-Rich Repeat Receptor-like Protein Kinase Gene by Hypersensitive Cell Death and Wounding in Tobacco Plant Carrying the N Resistance Gene

Author: Ito N.   Takabatake R.   Seo S.   Hiraga S.   Mitsuhara I.   Ohashi Y.  

Publisher: Oxford University Press

ISSN: 0032-0781

Source: Plant and Cell Physiology, Vol.43, Iss.3, 2002-03, pp. : 266-274

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Abstract

A gene encoding a receptor-like protein kinase was isolated as the gene induced in the early period of N gene-dependent hypersensitive cell death in tobacco leaves. The kinase domain expressed as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein was capable of autophosphorylation, indicating that this gene encodes an active protein kinase. A high level of the transcript accumulated before necrotic lesion formation in tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-inoculated tobacco leaves carrying the N gene but it was low in a tobacco cultivar lacking the N gene. A small but reproducible increase in the transcript was found 1–2 h after a temperature shift from 30°C to 20°C even in healthy leaves, suggesting the gene expression is temperature sensitive. The gene was named WRK for wound-induced receptor-like protein kinase, because the transcript increased to a maximum within 15–30 min of wounding. In suspension cultured tobacco cells, an increase in the transcript was found 15 min after transfer to a new medium, but it was suppressed under high osmotic pressures. The wound-induced WRK accumulation was enhanced by cycloheximide treatment, but not by known defense signal compounds (salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, 1-aminocyclopropan-1-carboxylic acid and abscisic acid) and some plant hormones. Thus, WRK is a wound-inducible and temperature-sensitive protein kinase gene induced before hypersensitive cell death probably through unknown signaling pathways.

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