MicroRNA regulated defense responses in Triticum aestivum L. during Puccinia graminis f.sp. tritici infection

Mol Biol Rep. 2012 Feb;39(2):817-24. doi: 10.1007/s11033-011-0803-5. Epub 2011 Jun 2.

Abstract

Plants have evolved diverse mechanism to recognize pathogen attack and triggers defense responses. These defense responses alter host cellular function regulated by endogenous, small, non-coding miRNAs. To understand the mechanism of miRNAs regulated cellular functions during stem rust infection in wheat, we investigated eight different miRNAs viz. miR159, miR164, miR167, miR171, miR444, miR408, miR1129 and miR1138, involved in three different independent cellular defense response to infection. The investigation reveals that at the initiation of disease, accumulation of miRNAs might be playing a key role in hypersensitive response (HR) from host, which diminishes at the maturation stage. This suggests a possible host-fungal synergistic relation leading to susceptibility. Differential expression of these miRNAs in presence and absence of R gene provides a probable explanation of miRNA regulated R gene mediated independent pathways.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Basidiomycota / immunology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / immunology*
  • Gene Library
  • MicroRNAs / immunology*
  • Plant Diseases / immunology*
  • Plant Diseases / microbiology
  • Plant Growth Regulators / immunology*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Signal Transduction / immunology*
  • Triticum*

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • Plant Growth Regulators