AUTHOR=Tang Yuanman , Liu Qiuping , Liu Ying , Zhang Linli , Ding Wei 

TITLE=Overexpression of NtPR-Q Up-Regulates Multiple Defense-Related Genes in Nicotiana tabacum and Enhances Plant Resistance to Ralstonia solanacearum

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2017.01963

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2017.01963

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Various classes of plant pathogenesis-related proteins have been identified in the past several decades. PR-Q, a member of the PR3 family encoding chitinases, has played an important role in regulating plant resistance and preventing pathogen infection. In this paper, we functionally characterized <italic>NtPR-Q</italic> in tobacco plants and found that the overexpression of <italic>NtPR-Q</italic> in tobacco Yunyan87 resulted in higher resistance to <italic>Ralstonia solanacearum</italic> inoculation. Surprisingly, overexpression of <italic>NtPR-Q</italic> led to the activation of many defense-related genes, such as salicylic acid (SA)-responsive genes <italic>NtPR1a/c</italic>, <italic>NtPR2</italic> and <italic>NtCHN50</italic>, JA-responsive gene <italic>NtPR1b</italic> and ET production-associated genes <italic>NtACC Oxidase</italic> and <italic>NtEFE26</italic>. Consistent with the role of <italic>NtPR-Q</italic> in multiple stress responses, <italic>NtPR-Q</italic> transcripts were induced by the exogenous hormones SA, ethylene and methyl jasmonate, which could enhance the resistance of tobacco to <italic>R. solanacearum</italic>. Collectively, our results suggested that <italic>NtPR-Q</italic> overexpression led to the up-regulation of defense-related genes and enhanced plant resistance to <italic>R. solanacearum</italic> infection.</p>