Infection with Jujube Witches’ Broom Phytoplasma Alters the Expression Pattern of the <i>Argonaute</i> Gene Family in <i>Ziziphus jujuba</i>

Infection with Jujube Witches’ Broom Phytoplasma Alters the Expression Pattern of the <i>Argonaute</i> Gene Family in <i>Ziziphus jujuba</i>

The cultivation of jujube (<i>Ziziphus jujuba</i>) in China is threatened by jujube witches’ broom (JWB) disease, a devastating infectious disease associated with JWB phytoplasma (‘<i>Candidatus</i> Phytoplasma ziziphi’). In many plants, proteins in the Argonaute (AGO) family...

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Main Authors: Jia Yao, Zesen Qiao, Ziming Jiang, Xueru Zhao, Ziyang You, Wenzhe Zhang, Jiancan Feng, Chenrui Gong, Jidong Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Microorganisms
Subjects:
jujube
<i>Candidatus</i> Phytoplasma ziziphi
AGO
gene expression
RNA-induced silencing complex
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/3/658
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Summary:The cultivation of jujube (<i>Ziziphus jujuba</i>) in China is threatened by jujube witches’ broom (JWB) disease, a devastating infectious disease associated with JWB phytoplasma (‘<i>Candidatus</i> Phytoplasma ziziphi’). In many plants, proteins in the Argonaute (AGO) family, as main components of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), play important roles in RNA silencing and pathogen resistance. The jujube telomere-to-telomere genome was searched by BLAST using Arabidopsis AGOs as probes. A total of nine jujube AGO gene members were identified, with each containing the conserved N-terminal, PZA, and PIWI domains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the nine jujube AGOs scattered into all three <i>Arabidopsis</i> AGO clades. Expression patterns of the <i>ZjAGO</i> genes were analyzed in response to phytoplasma in transcriptome data and by qRT–PCR. The jujube–phytoplasma interaction altered the expression of jujube <i>AGO</i> genes. <i>ZjAGO1</i> and <i>ZjAGO8</i> were up-regulated in the majority of the eight sampling periods subjected to qRT–PCR analysis. In the transcriptome data, <i>ZjAGO1</i> and <i>ZjAGO8</i> were also up-regulated during the key stages 37 and 39 weeks after grafting (WAG) with phytoplasma-infected material. These two jujube <i>Argonaute</i> genes may play important roles in response to JWB phytoplasma infection.
ISSN:2076-2607

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