Roles for jasmonate- and ethylene-induced transcription factors in the ability of Arabidopsis to respond differentially to damage caused by two insect herbivores

Abstract

Plant responses to insects and wounding involve substantial transcriptional reprogramming that integrates hormonal, metabolic, and physiological events. The ability to respond differentially to various stresses, including wounding, generally involves hormone signaling and trans-acting regulatory factors. Evidence of the importance of transcription factors (TFs) in responses to insects is also accumulating. However, the relationships among hormone signaling, TF activity, and ability to respond specifically to different insects are uncertain. We examined transcriptional and hormonal changes in Arabidopsis thaliana after herbivory by larvae of two lepidopteran species, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) and Pieris rapae L. over a 24-h time course. Transcriptional responses to the two insects differed and were frequently weaker or absent in response to the specialist P. rapae. Using microarray analysis and qRT-PCR, we found 141 TFs, including many AP2/ERFs (Ethylene Response Factors) and selected defense-related genes, to be differentially regulated in response to the two insect species or wounding. Jasmonic Acid (JA), JA-isoleucine (JA-IL), and ethylene production by Arabidopsis plants increased after attack by both insect species. However, the amounts and timing of ethylene production differed between the two herbivory treatments. Our results support the hypothesis that the different responses to these two insects involve modifications of JA-signaling events and activation of different subsets of ERF TFs, resulting in different degrees of divergence from responses to wounding alone.

The ERF transcription factor family in cassava: genome-wide characterization and expression analyses against drought stress

“…Further studies showed that AtERF53 regulates drought and heat tolerances through interacting with RING domain ubiquitin E3 ligase for proteasome degradation4041. Arabidopsis octadecanoid-responsive AP2/EFR-domain transcription factor ORA47 (the orthologous of MeERF53) is strongly induced by salt stress, wounding and MeJA424344. Further studies suggested that ORA47 play a role in regulating a suite of genes related to biosynthesis and/or signaling transduction of phytohormone when plants are subjected to wounding and water stress45.…”

Ethylene: traffic controller on hormonal crossroads to defense

“…The amount and timing of ET production is then further regulated in an attacker-specific manner, which modulates the plant's defense response (Hu et al, 2011;Van der Ent and Pieterse, 2012;Groen and Whiteman, 2014;Rehrig et al, 2014). In addition to its role in defense, ET is also known to be an important regulator of developmental processes, and accordingly, ET-dependent defense patterns change during development.…”

Brevicoryne brassicae aphids interfere with transcriptome responses of Arabidopsis thaliana to feeding by Plutella xylostella caterpillars in a density-dependent manner

“…Plant defenses induced by caterpillars are mainly regulated by the phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA) and its derivatives such as methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and jasmonic acid-isoleucine (JA-Ile) (Thaler et al 2002; Turner et al 2002; Halitschke and Baldwin 2003; Koo and Howe 2009; Verhage et al 2011; Rehrig et al 2014). JA-Ile binds to the CORONATINE INSENSITIVE 1 (COI1) receptor thereby mediating the degradation of JAZ repressor proteins (Thines et al 2007).…”