Overexpression of DUF538 from Wild Arachis Enhances Plant Resistance to Meloidogyne spp

DUF538 proteins belong to a large group of uncharacterized protein families sharing the highly conserved Domain of Unknown Function (DUF). Attention has been given to DUF538 domain-containing proteins due to changes in their gene expression behavior and protein abundance during plant development and responses to stress. Putative roles attributed to DUF538 in plants under abiotic and biotic constraints include involvement in cell redox balance, chlorophyll breakdown and pectin degradation. Our previous transcriptome studies suggested that DUF538 is also involved in the resistance responses of wild Arachis species against the highly hazardous root-knot nematodes (RKNs). To clarify the role of the AsDUF538 gene from the wild peanut relative Arachis stenosperma in this interaction, we analyzed the effect of its overexpression on RKN infection in peanut and soybean hairy roots and Arabidopsis transgenic plants. AsDUF538 overexpression significantly reduced the infection in all three heterologous plant systems against their respective RKN counterparts. The distribution of AsDUF538 transcripts in RKN-infected Arachis roots and the effects of AsDUF538 overexpression on hormonal pathways and redox system in transgenic Arabidopsis were also evaluated. This is the first time that a DUF538 gene is functionally validated in transgenic plants and the earliest report on its role in plant defense against RKNs.