Mla- and Rom1-mediated control of microRNA398 and chloroplast copper/zinc superoxide dismutase regulates cell death in response to the barley powdery mildew fungus.

ABSTRACT

• Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Mildew resistance locus a (Mla) confers allele-specific interactions with natural variants of the ascomycete fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh), the causal agent of powdery mildew disease. Significant reprogramming of Mla-mediated gene expression occurs upon infection by this obligate biotrophic pathogen. • We utilized a proteomics-based approach, combined with barley mla, required for Mla12 resistance1 (rar1), and restoration of Mla resistance1 (rom1) mutants, to identify components of Mla-directed signaling. • Loss-of-function mutations in Mla and Rar1 both resulted in the reduced accumulation of chloroplast copper/zinc superoxide dismutase 1 (HvSOD1), whereas loss of function in Rom1 re-established HvSOD1 levels. In addition, both Mla and Rom1 negatively regulated hvu-microRNA398 (hvu-miR398), and up-regulation of miR398 was coupled to reduced HvSOD1 expression. Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV)-mediated over-expression of both barley and Arabidopsis miR398 repressed accumulation of HvSOD1, and BSMV-induced gene silencing of HvSod1 impeded Mla-triggered H2O2 and hypersensitive reaction (HR) at barley-Bgh interaction sites. • These data indicate that Mla- and Rom1-regulated hvu-miR398 represses HvSOD1 accumulation, influencing effector-induced HR in response to the powdery mildew fungus.