A hot pepper gene encoding WRKY transcription factor is induced during hypersensitive response to Tobacco mosaic virus and Xanthomonas campestris.

Chang-Jin Park; Yun-Chul Shin; Boo-Ja Lee; Ki-Jeong Kim; Jeong-Kook Kim; Kyung-Hee Paek

Plant WRKY transcription factors were previously implicated in the alteration of gene expression in response to various pathogens. The WRKY proteins constitute a large family of plant transcription factors, whose precise functions have yet to be elucidated. Using a domain-specific differential display procedure, we isolated a WRKY gene, which is rapidly induced during an incompatible interaction between hot pepper and Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) or Xanthomonas campestris pv . vesicatoria ( Xcv). The full-length cDNA of CaWRKY-a ( Capsicum annuum WRKY-a) encodes a putative polypeptide of 546 amino acids, containing two WRKY domains with a zinc finger motif. The expression of CaWRKY-a could be rapidly induced by not only chemical elicitor such as salicylic acid (SA) or ethephon but also wounding treatments. The nuclear localization of CaWRKY-a was determined in transient expression system using tobacco BY-2 cells by polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated transformation experiment. With oligonucleotide molecules containing the putative W-box sequences as a probe, we confirmed that CaWRKY-a protein had W-box-binding activity. These results suggest that CaWRKY-a might be involved as a transcription factor in plant defense-related signal transduction pathways.

HOT peppers; TRANSCRIPTION factors; EXONS (Genetics); ALLERGIES; TOBACCO mosaic virus; XANTHOMONAS campestris; GENE expression; PLANT genetics; PROTEINS

Planta: An International Journal of Plant Biology, 2006, Vol 223, Issue 2, p168

0032-0935

Academic Journal

10.1007/s00425-005-0067-1