Identification and Characterization of a Potential Candidate Mlo Gene Conferring Susceptibility to Powdery Mildew in Rubber Tree

Abstract

Mildew resistance locus O (Mlo) gene was first found in barley as a powdery mildew susceptibility gene, and recessive mlo alleles confer durable resistance to barley powdery mildew. To identify candidate Mlo susceptibility genes in rubber tree, HbMlo12 was cloned from rubber tree clone CATAS7-33-97, which is susceptible to powdery mildew. Protein architecture analysis showed that HbMlo12 was a typical Mlo protein with seven transmembrane domains. Protein blast search in the Arabidopsis thaliana proteome database showed that HbMlo12 shared the highest similarity with AtMlo12, with 63% sequence identity. Furthermore, HbMlo12 together with the dicot powdery mildew susceptible Mlo proteins (including AtMlo2, AtMlo6, AtMlo12, tomato SlMlo1, pepper CaMlo2, pea PsMlo1, etc.) were grouped into clade V. Subcellular localization analysis in tobacco epidermal cells revealed that HbMlo12 was localized to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. HbMlo12 was preferentially expressed in the flower and leaf of rubber tree. Moreover, its expression was significantly upregulated in response to powdery mildew inoculation. Application of exogenous ethephon caused a distinct increase in HbMlo12 expression. Additionally, HbMlo12 transcript was quickly induced by spraying salicylic acid and gibberellic acid and reached the maximum at 0.5 h after treatments. By contrast, HbMlo12 expression was downregulated by methyl jasmonate, abscisic acid, and drought stress treatments. There was no significant change in HbMlo12 expression after indole-3-acetic acid, H2O2, and wounding stimuli. Taken together, these results suggested that HbMlo12 might be a candidate Mlo gene conferring susceptibility to powdery mildew in rubber tree. The results of this study are vital in understanding Mlo gene evolution and developing new rubber tree varieties with powdery mildew resistance using reverse genetics.