Expression and Functional Analysis of a Pathogenesis-Related Protein 1 Gene, , Involved in Wheat Resistance Against Leaf Rust Fungus

Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins encoded by plant defense genes play key roles in plant disease-resistance responses, specialized in systemic-acquired resistance. However, their roles in the response of wheat to fungal infection are still not well known. Our earlier studies have reported that a full-length gene (818 bp) was isolated from wheat infected by leaf rust (). Here, we showed that was induced earlier and its expression level was higher in the incompatible interaction between seedling stage of wheat and than in compatible interactions. was strongly induced after inoculation and ABA and SA treatments, in which the expression level of significantly increased and reached the maximum at 12 and 72 h, respectively. Furthermore, the transgenic T-stable lines generated in the susceptible wheat cultivar Zhengzhou 5389 background exhibited certain extent disease resistance against infection by preventing disease development. In addition, Western blotting was conducted to confirm that protein was induced by infection in positive transgenic plants at the protein expression level. These findings suggest that gene plays an important role in wheat development and resistance to leaf rust pathogen attack.