QQS orphan gene and its interactor NF‐YC4 reduce susceptibility to pathogens and pests

Abstract

Enhancing the nutritional quality and disease resistance of crops without sacrificing productivity is a key issue for developing varieties that are valuable to farmers and for simultaneously improving food security and sustainability. Expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana species-specific AtQQS (Qua-Quine Starch) orphan gene or its interactor, NF-YC4 (Nuclear Factor Y, subunit C4), has been shown to increase levels of leaf/seed protein without affecting the growth and yield of agronomic species. Here, we demonstrate that overexpression of AtQQS and NF-YC4 in Arabidopsis and soybean enhances resistance/reduces susceptibility to viruses, bacteria, fungi, aphids and soybean cyst nematodes. A series of Arabidopsis mutants in starch metabolism were used to explore the relationships between QQS expression, carbon and nitrogen partitioning, and defense. The enhanced basal defenses mediated by QQS were independent of changes in protein/carbohydrate composition of the plants. We demonstrate that either AtQQS or NF-YC4 overexpression in Arabidopsis and in soybean reduces susceptibility of these plants to pathogens/pests. Transgenic soybean lines overexpressing NF-YC4 produce seeds with increased protein while maintaining healthy growth. Pull-down studies reveal that QQS interacts with human NF-YC, as well as with Arabidopsis NF-YC4, and indicate two QQS binding sites near the NF-YC-histone-binding domain. A new model for QQS interaction with NF-YC is speculated. Our findings illustrate the potential of QQS and NF-YC4 to increase protein and improve defensive traits in crops, overcoming the normal growth-defense trade-offs.

A wheat NAC interacts with an orphan protein and enhances resistance to Fusarium head blight disease

“…Both QQS and AtNF‐YC4 modulate carbon and nitrogen allocation, but the molecular mechanism by which the complex functions is still undetermined. Recently it was shown that overexpression of AtQQS and NF‐YC4 in Arabidopsis and soybean enhanced resistance/reduces susceptibility to viruses, bacteria, fungi, aphids and soybean cyst nematodes (Qi et al., ).…”

synder: inferring genomic orthologs from synteny maps

“…The canonical NF-Y is a heterotrimeric, eukaryotic transcription factor that is comprised of subunits NF-YA, NF-YB and NF-YC [31]. NF-Y has been associated with characteristics as diverse as cell division [32], cancer [33,34], drought tolerance [35], broad spectrum disease resistance [36], and carbon and nitrogen partitioning [37]. In animals and fungi, a single gene encodes each of the three NF-Y subunits.…”

Brassica rapa orphan genes largely affect soluble sugar metabolism

“…The A. thaliana OG Qua Quine Starch ( QQS ) is known to regulate the primary metabolic functions of carbon and nitrogen partitioning, and affected protein content when it was overexpressed in soybean, maize, and rice 5 . An in-depth analysis showed that QQS and its interactor NF-YC4 could reduce Arabidopsis and soybean susceptibility to viruses, bacteria, fungi, aphids, and soybean cyst nematodes 6 . The salamander-specific protein Prod1 can regulate limb regeneration by determining the direction of limb growth 7 .…”