Poster: Plant insect-nematode interactions

Abs # 489: Identification of a jasmonate-regulated lanthionine synthetase C-like gene in tomato

Presenter:	Liu, Guanghui , liuguang@msu.edu
Authors	Liu, Guanghui  (A)   Howe, Gregg A. (A)
Affiliations:	(A): MSU-DOE Plant Research Lab, Michigan State University

Jasmonic acid (JA) and methyl-JA (MeJA) are fatty acid-derived cyclopentanone signals that regulate a broad range of plant defense responses against herbivores and microbial pathogens. We are using cDNA microarray analysis to identify and characterize genes in Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato) that are regulated by the JA signaling pathway. Here, we report the identification and preliminary characterization of a novel gene (LeLANCL) that is predicted to encode a new member of the lanthionine synthetase C-like (LANCL) family of proteins found in both plants and animals. These proteins appear to be homologous to bacterial LanC, which is part of a membrane-bound complex involved in the synthesis and transport of lantibiotic peptides exhibiting potent antimicrobial properties. We found that LeLANCL transcripts accumulated to their highest level in reproductive tissues of healthy tomato plants. In vegetative tissues, LeLANCL expression was highly induced in response to mechanical wounding and treatment with MeJA. Wound-induced expression of the gene was blocked in tomato mutants that are defective in JA biosynthesis or JA perception. These results indicate that LeLANCL expression is regulated by the JA signaling pathway, and further suggest that the gene could serve a role in defense against herbivores or pathogens. The physiological function of LANC in plant growth and development is being investigated by analysis of tomato and Arabidopsis plants that are altered in LANCL expression. This work was supported by a grant from the Michigan Life Science Corridor.