An Arabidopsis thaliana pectin acetylesterase gene is upregulated in nematode feeding sites induced by root-knot and cyst nematodes

• Published in: Molecular plant-microbe interactions Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 404 - 407
• Main Authors: VERCAUTEREN, Isabel, DE ALMEIDA ENGLER, Janice, DE GROODT, Ruth, GHEYSEN, Godelieve
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: St Paul, MN APS Press 01-04-2002; The American Phytopathological Society
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Arabidopsis - enzymology; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - parasitology; Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics; Biological and medical sciences; Esterases - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Heterodera schachtii; Meloidogyne incognita; Molecular Sequence Data; Nematoda - growth & development; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Plant Diseases - genetics; Plant Diseases - parasitology; Plant Roots - enzymology; Plant Roots - genetics; Plant Roots - parasitology; Protozoa. Invertebrates; Records, symptoms, damages, economic importance, population surveys; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Tylenchoidea - growth & development; Up-Regulation - genetics; Heteroderidae; Structure integrity; Esterases; Softening; Cell wall; Arabidopsis thaliana; Regulation(control); Pest; Gene; Meloidogyne incognita; Cruciferae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Meloidogynidae; Structural carbohydrate; Nematoda; Aminoacid sequence; Root; Enzyme; Acetylesterase; Interspecific comparison; Tissue specificity; Pectin; Gene expression; Carboxylic ester hydrolases; Infection; Deacetylation; Animal plant relation; Helmintha; Hydrolases; Nemathelminthia; Spermatophyta; Invertebrata; Experimental plant; Heterodera schachtii
• ISSN: 0894-0282; 1943-7706
• DOI: 10.1094/MPMI.2002.15.4.404

By using differential display, gene expression was investigated in Arabidopsis thaliana roots shortly after nematode infection, and a putative pectin acetylesterase (PAE) homolog (DiDi 9C-12) was found to be upregulated. PAEs catalyze the deacetylation of pectin, a major compound of primary cell walls. mRNA in situ hybridization experiments showed that the expression of DiDi 9C-12 was enhanced very early after infection in initiating giant-cells and in cells surrounding the nematodes. Later on, the level of DiDi 9C-12 mRNA was lower in giant-cells and transcripts were mainly found in parenchyma, endodermis, and pericycle cells of the root gall. Twenty days after infection, DiDi 9C-12 transcripts could no longer be detected. DiDi 9C-12 transcripts were also found in young syncytia and in the cells surrounding the expanding syncytium. Our results suggest that plant parasitic nematodes can modulate the rapid growth of the feeding cells and the expansion of the root gall by triggering the expression of DiDi 9C-12. PAEs, which probably act together with a range of other pectin-degrading enzymes, could be involved in softening and loosening the primary cell wall in nematode-infected plant roots.