Brassinosteroid-related transcription factor BIL1/BZR1 increases plant resistance to insect feeding

• Published in: Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry biotechnology, and biochemistry, 2014-06, Vol.78 (6), p.960-968
• Main Authors: Miyaji, Tomoko, Yamagami, Ayumi, Kume, Nao, Sakuta, Masaaki, Osada, Hiroyuki, Asami, Tadao, Arimoto, Yutaka, Nakano, Takeshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Arabidopsis - cytology; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - physiology; Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics; Arabidopsis Proteins - metabolism; BIL1/BZR1; brassinosteroid; Brassinosteroids - metabolism; Herbivory; jasmonate; Loteae - cytology; Loteae - genetics; Loteae - physiology; Mutation; Nuclear Proteins - genetics; Nuclear Proteins - metabolism; onion thrips; Phenotype; Plant Leaves - cytology; Plant Leaves - genetics; Plants, Genetically Modified; Signal Transduction; signaling; Thysanoptera; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Transformation, Genetic
• ISSN: 0916-8451; 1347-6947
• DOI: 10.1080/09168451.2014.910093

The plant steroid hormones brassinosteroids (BRs) play important roles in plant growth and responses to stresses. The up-regulation of pathogen resistance by BR signaling has been analyzed, but the relationship between BR and insect herbivores remains largely unclear. BIL1/BZR1 is a BR master transcription factor known to be involved in the regulation of plant development through work conducted on a gain of function mutation. Here, we analyzed the function of BIL1/BZR1 in response to insect feeding and demonstrated that resistance against thrip feeding was increased in the bil1-1D/bzr1-1D mutant compared to wild-type. We generated Lotus japonicus transgenic plants that over-express the Arabidopsis bil1/bzr1 mutant, Lj-bil1/bzr1-OX. The Lj-bil1/bzr1-OX plants showed increased resistance to thrip feeding. The expression levels of the jasmoninc acid (JA)-inducible VSP genes were increased in both Arabidopsis bil1-1D/bzr1-1D mutants and L. japonicus Lj-bil1/bzr1-OX plants. The resistance to thrip feeding caused by the BIL1/BZR1 gene may involve JA signaling. Over-Expression mutated bil1/bzr1 that is brassinosteroid master transcription factor gives resistance against the thrips feeding to plants.