A type I MADS-box gene is differentially expressed in wheat in response to infection by the stripe rust fungus

Abstract

The gene, designated TaMADS2, was obtained from wheat leaves infected with the wheat stripe rust fungus by in silico cloning and RT-PCR. TaMADS2 encodes a predicted 159-amino-acid polypeptide that contains a highly conserved MADS domain. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that TaMADS2 is a type I MADS-box gene. The TaMADS2 transcript was detected in wheat leaves, stems, and roots. The expression of TaMADS2 was substantially down-regulated in the compatible interaction between wheat and Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) at 36 and 48 h post-inoculation (hpi), whereas in the incompatible interaction the down-regulation was only observed at 48 hpi. Exogenous salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid (ABA) greatly induced the expression of TaMADS2 at 12 h post treatment (hpt), whereas methyl jasmonate (MeJA) down-regulated TaMADS2 at 6 hpt by approximately two-fold.

Keywords

• abscisic acid
• methyl jasmonate
• puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici
• salicylic acid
• tamads2
• triticum aestivum