BnaPLDα1-BnaMPK6 Involved in NaCl-Mediated Overcoming of Self-Incompatibility in Brassica napus L

Yuanyuan Li; WenXuan Zhang; Yong Yang; Xiaomei Liang; Shaoping Lu; Chaozhi Ma; Cheng Dai

doi:10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112116

BnaPLDα1-BnaMPK6 Involved in NaCl-Mediated Overcoming of Self-Incompatibility in Brassica napus L

Plant Sci. 2024 May 13:112116. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112116. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yuanyuan Li¹, WenXuan Zhang¹, Yong Yang¹, Xiaomei Liang¹, Shaoping Lu¹, Chaozhi Ma², Cheng Dai³

Affiliations

¹ National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
² National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China.
³ National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. Electronic address: cdai@mail.hzau.edu.cn.

PMID: 38750797
DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112116

Abstract

Self-incompatibility (SI) is an important genetic mechanism exploited by numerous angiosperm species to prevent inbreeding. This mechanism has been widely used in the breeding of SI trilinear hybrids of Brassica napus. The SI responses in these hybrids can be overcome by using a salt (NaCl) solution, which is used for seed propagation in SI lines. However, the mechanism underlying the NaCl-induced breakdown of the SI response in B. napus remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of two key proteins, BnaPLDα1 and BnaMPK6, in the breakdown of SI induced by NaCl. Pollen grain germination and seed set were reduced in BnaPLDα1 triple mutants following incompatible pollination with NaCl treatment. Conversely, SI responses were partially abolished by overexpression of BnaC05.PLDα1 without salt treatment. Furthermore, we observed that phosphatidic acid (PA) produced by BnaPLDα1 bound to B. napus BnaMPK6. The suppression and enhancement of the NaCl-induced breakdown of the SI response in B. napus were observed in BnaMPK6 quadruple mutants and BnaA05.MPK6 overexpression lines, respectively. Moreover, salt-induced stigmatic reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation had a minimal effect on the NaCl-induced breakdown of the SI response. In conclusion, our results demonstrate the essential role of the BnaPLDα1-PA-BnaMPK6 pathway in overcoming the SI response to salt treatment in SI B. napus. Additionally, our study provides new insights into the relationship between SI signaling and salt stress response. SIGNFICANCE STATEMENT: A new molecular mechanism underlying the breakdown of the NaCl-induced self-incompatibility (SI) response in B. napus has been discovered. It involves the induction of BnaPLDα1 expression by NaCl, followed by the activation of BnaMPK6 through the production of phosphatidic acid (PA) by BnaPLDα1. Ultimately, this pathway leads to the breakdown of SI. The involvement of the BnaPLDα1-PA-BnaMPK6 pathway in overcoming the SI response following NaCl treatment provides new insights into the relationship between SI signalling and the response to salt stress.

Keywords: BnaMPK6; BnaPLDα1; Brassica napus; NaCl; Self-incompatibility.