<i>OsVTC1-1</i> Gene Silencing Promotes a Defense Response in Rice and Enhances Resistance to <i>Magnaporthe oryzae</i>
Kanyanat Lamanchai,
Nicholas Smirnoff,
Deborah L. Salmon,
Athipat Ngernmuen,
Sittiruk Roytrakul,
Kantinan Leetanasaksakul,
Suthathip Kittisenachai,
Chatchawan Jantasuriyarat
Affiliations
Kanyanat Lamanchai
Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
Nicholas Smirnoff
Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
Deborah L. Salmon
Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
Athipat Ngernmuen
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
Sittiruk Roytrakul
Functional Proteomics Technology, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, 113 Paholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
Kantinan Leetanasaksakul
Functional Proteomics Technology, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, 113 Paholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
Suthathip Kittisenachai
Functional Proteomics Technology, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, 113 Paholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
Chatchawan Jantasuriyarat
Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
Rice blast disease is a serious disease in rice caused by Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae). Ascorbic acid (AsA), or vitamin C, is a strong antioxidant that prevents oxidative damage to cellular components and plays an essential role in plant defense response. GDP-D-mannose pyrophosphorylase (GMP or VTC1) is an enzyme that generates GDP-D-mannose for AsA, cell wall, and glycoprotein synthesis. The OsVTC1 gene has three homologs in the rice genome: OsVTC1-1, OsVTC1-3, and OsVTC1-8. Using OsVTC1-1 RNAi lines, this study investigated the role of the OsVTC1-1 gene during rice blast fungus inoculation. The OsVTC1-1 RNAi inoculated with rice blast fungus induced changes to cell wall monosaccharides, photosynthetic efficiency, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Additionally, the OsVTC1-1 RNAi lines were shown to be more resistant to rice blast fungus than the wild type. Genes and proteins related to defense response, plant hormone synthesis, and signaling pathways, especially salicylic acid and jasmonic acid, were up-regulated in the OsVTC1-1 RNAi lines after rice blast inoculation. These results suggest that the OsVTC1-1 gene regulates rice blast resistance through several defense mechanisms, including hormone synthesis and signaling pathways.