Oral Presentation International Plant Molecular Biology Conference 2024

The regeneration conferring transcription factor complex ERF115-PAT1 coordinates a wound-induced response in root-knot nematode induced galls (#346)

Janice de Almeida Engler 1 , Cleberson Ribeiro 1 2 , Adriana Hemerly 3 , Maria Fatima Grossi de Sa 4 , Lieven De Veylder 5
  1. SPE, INRAE, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut Sophia Agrobiotech, Sophia Antipolis, France
  2. Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
  3. Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
  4. CENARGEN, Embrapa Genetic Resourses and Biotechnology , Brasília , DF, Brazil
  5. Department of Plant Biotechnology and Genetics/VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent University , Ghent, Belgium

Hyperactivation of the plant cell cycle is crucial for the ontogenesis of root-knot nematode induced galls. These tumors like structures are formed within the root vascular cylinder harboring the competence for cell cycle reactivation. Herein, we questioned if during the process of nematode infection, cell damage occur triggering cellular dedifferentiation and division. It emerges that the Ethylene Response Factor 115 (ERF115 of the ERF family), together with the Phytochrom A Signal Transduction 1 (PAT1 of the GRAS family) transcription factors (TFs) are able to activate a regeneration program in gall-cells. Upon stem cell death, cells that co-express ERF115 and PAT1 were found to engage recovery cell divisions [1]. Moreover, plants lacking a functional ERF115 or PAT1 showed a reduced ability to perform recovery divisions and displayed a lower regeneration frequency [2]. Our studies demonstrate that root tissue injury caused during nematode infection induces ERF115, ERF114 and PAT1 expression in cells immediately adjacent to damaged root cells and hereby potentially activating cell division to replace damaged cells as part of a regeneration program [3]. These functional studies lead us to conclude that both ERF115 and PAT1 are likely involved in gall homeostasis sensing the damage caused upon nematode infection and working in its replenishment. As follows, we aim to further understand the pathways that activate the plant host regeneration ensuing wounding by nematodes, and map the signaling cascades operating downstream of ERF115. Overall, this knowledge might help us to understand their parasitic success and to fight against these plant pests.

  1. • [1] Heyman et al., 2013. Science 342: 860 - 863. • [2] Heyman et al., 2016. Nature Plants 2: 1 - 7. • [3] Ribeiro et al., 2024. New Phytologist 241:878-895.