Drought suppresses plant salicylic acid defence against herbivorous insects by down-regulating the expression of ICS1 via NAC transcription factor
Chan Zhao,
Wen-Hao Han,
Yu-Die Xiong,
Shun-Xia Ji,
Hui Du,
Yu-Jie Chi,
Na Chen,
He Wu,
Shu-Sheng Liu,
Xiao-Wei Wang
Affiliations
Chan Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
Wen-Hao Han
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
Yu-Die Xiong
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
Shun-Xia Ji
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
Hui Du
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
Yu-Jie Chi
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
Na Chen
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
He Wu
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
Shu-Sheng Liu
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
Xiao-Wei Wang
Corresponding authors.; State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
Many herbivorous insects exhibit enhanced performance and population dynamics on drought-stressed host plants due to induced changes in plant physiology. However, the underlying mechanisms of how drought regulates plant defense against herbivorous insects are still largely unknown. In this study, we found that the survival rate and fecundity of whiteflies, notorious global pests, were significantly higher on drought-stressed tobacco. Drought stress did not affect jasmonic acid (JA) accumulation, whereas it significantly decreased the salicylic acid (SA) content by suppressing its biosynthesis. We further demonstrated that drought-induced abscisic acid (ABA) inhibited the expression of isochorismate synthase 1 (ICS1), a key enzyme in the synthesis of SA. The accumulation of ABA induced the expression of abscisic acid responsive NAC domain containing protein 19 (ANAC019), which directly bound to the promoter of NtICS1 and negatively regulated its expression. Finally, we revealed that drought and ABA could activate abscisic acid responsive elements-binding factor 2 (ABF2) transcription factor to up-regulate the expression of NtANAC019. Our study illustrates the significance of cross-talk between abiotic stress and plant-herbivore interactions and reveals the mechanisms leading to altered herbivore fitness on drought-stressed plants.
