Proteomics reveals the changes that contribute to Fusarium head blight resistance in wheat

Authors: YANG, MINGMING - Northwest A&f University; XIANGUO, WANG - Northwest A&f University; DONG, JIAN - Northwest A&f University; ZHAO, WANCHUN - Northwest A&f University; ALAM, TARIQ - Clemson University; Thomashow, Linda; Weller, David; GAO, XIANG - Northwest A&f University; RUSTGI, SACHIN - Clemson University; WEN, SHANSHAN - Northwest A&f University

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/22/2020
Publication Date: 7/27/2020
Citation: Yang, M., Xianguo, W., Dong, J., Zhao, W., Alam, T., Thomashow, L.S., Weller, D.M., Gao, X., Rustgi, S., Wen, S. 2020. Proteomics reveals the changes that contribute to Fusarium head blight resistance in wheat. Phytopathology. 111(2):386-397. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-05-20-0171-R.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-05-20-0171-R

Interpretive Summary: Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease of wheat, causing yield losses and quality reduction due to the production of toxins by the fungus Fusarium. In this study, proteins produced by two wheat cultivars, Xinong 538 and Zhoumai 18, which differ in their were sensitivity to the Fusarium fungus, were labeled by the iTRAQ technique to determine the molecular mechanisms contributing to resistance. A total of 13,669 proteins was identified in the two cultivars 48 hours after the wheat was inoculated with Fusarium. Among these, 2,505 unique proteins accumulated only in Xinong 538 (resistant) and 887 in Zhoumai 18 (susceptible). The most differentially accumulated proteins from both cultivars belonged to the categories ‘metabolic process,’ ‘single-organism process,’ ‘cellular process,’ and ‘response to stimulus.’ Further analysis showed that a greater number of proteins belonging to different metabolic pathways were identified in Xinong 538 compared to Zhoumai 18. Specifically, proteins from Xinong 538 were categorized as belonging to metabolic pathways related to plant-pathogen interactions. These proteins might play a critical role in defense responses exhibited by Xinong 538. Genes from both wheat cultivars were located on all wheat chromosomes except chromosome 6B, with approximately 30% mapping to chromosomes 2B, 3B, 5B, and 5D. Twenty genetic markers near the genes on chromosomes 1B, 3B, 5B, and 6A overlapped with the location of earlier mapped traits indicating resistance to Fusarium nead blight. The data provide evidence for the involvement of several proteins in the early stages of the FHB-resistance response in wheat, with further functional characterization of candidate proteins warranted.

Technical Abstract: Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease of wheat, causing yield losses and quality reduction due to mycotoxin production. In this study, iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification)-labeling based mass spectrometry (MS) was employed to characterize the proteome in wheat cultivars Xinong 538 and Zhoumai 18, with contrasting levels of FHB-resistance, to elucidate the molecular mechanisms contributing to resistance. A total of 13,669 proteins was identified in the two cultivars 48 hours after F. graminearum inoculation. Among these, 2,505 unique proteins exclusively accumulated in Xinong 538 (resistant) and 887 proteins in Zhoumai 18 (susceptible). Gene Ontology enrichment analysis showed that most differentially accumulated proteins (DAPs) from both cultivars were assigned to categories ‘metabolic process,’ ‘single-organism process,’ ‘cellular process,’ and ‘response to stimulus.’ KEGG analysis showed that a greater number of proteins belonging to different metabolic pathways were identified in Xinong 538 compared to Zhoumai 18. Specifically, DAPs from the FHB-resistant cultivar Xinong 538 populated categories of metabolic pathways related to plant-pathogen interactions. These DAPs might play a critical role in defense responses exhibited by Xinong 538. DAPs from both genotypes were assigned to all wheat chromosomes except chromosome 6B, with approximately 30% mapping to wheat chromosomes 2B, 3B, 5B, and 5D. Twenty SNP markers flanking DAPs on chromosomes 1B, 3B, 5B, and 6A overlapped with the location of earlier mapped FHB-resistance QTLs. The data provide evidence for the involvement of several DAPs in the early stages of the FHB-resistance response in wheat, with further functional characterization of candidate proteins warranted.