ABSTRACT
Citrus canker disease affects citrus production. This disease is caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc). Previous studies confirmed that during Xcc infection, PthA4, a transcriptional activator like effector (TALE), is translocated from the pathogen to host plant cells. PthA4 binds to the effector binding elements (EBEs) in the promoter region of canker susceptibility gene LOB1 (EBEPthA4-LOBP) to activate its expression and subsequently cause canker symptoms. Previously, the Cas12a/CBE co-editing method was employed to disrupt EBEPthA4-LOBP of pummelo, which is highly homozygous. However, most commercial citrus cultivars are heterozygous hybrids and more difficult to generate homozygous/biallelic mutants. Here, we employed Cas12a/CBE co-editing method to edit EBEPthA4-LOBP of Hamlin (Citrus sinensis), a commercial heterozygous hybrid citrus cultivar grown worldwide. Binary vector GFP-p1380N-ttLbCas12a:LOBP1-mPBE:ALS2:ALS1 was constructed and shown to be functional via Xcc-facilitated agroinfiltration in Hamlin leaves. This construct allows the selection of transgene-free regenerants via GFP, edits ALS to generate chlorsulfuron-resistant regenerants as a selection marker for genome editing resulting from transient expression of the T-DNA via nCas9-mPBE:ALS2:ALS1, and edits gene(s) of interest (i.e., EBEPthA4-LOBP in this study) through ttLbCas12a, thus creating transgene-free citrus. Totally, 77 plantlets were produced. Among them, 8 plantlets were transgenic plants (#HamGFP1 - #HamGFP8), 4 plantlets were transgene-free (#HamNoGFP1 - #HamNoGFP4), and the rest were wild type. Among 4 transgene-free plantlets, three lines (#HamNoGFP1, #HamNoGFP2 and #HamNoGFP3) contained biallelic mutations in EBEpthA4, and one line (#HamNoGFP4) had homozygous mutations in EBEpthA4. We achieved 5.2% transgene-free homozygous/biallelic mutation efficiency for EBEPthA4-LOBP in C. sinensis cv. Hamlin, compared to 1.9% mutation efficiency for pummelo in a previous study. Importantly, the four transgene-free plantlets and 3 transgenic plantlets that survived were resistant against citrus canker. Taken together, Cas12a/CBE co-editing method has been successfully used to generate transgene-free canker-resistant C. sinensis cv. Hamlin in the T0 generation via biallelic/homozygous editing of EBEpthA4 of the canker susceptibility gene LOB1.
ABSTRACT
Gefitinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) and represents the first-line treatment for EGFR mutation patients with NSCLC (non-small-cell lung cancer) therapeutics. However, NSCLC patients are inclined to develop acquired gefitinib drug resistance through nowadays, unarticulated mechanisms of chemoresistance. Here, we investigated the role of TF (Trifolium flavonoids) on sensitizing gefitinib resistance in NSCLC cells and revealed its potential mechanism of action. We demonstrated that TF exerted significantly potential chemosensitivity in gefitinib resistant NSCLC cells. MTT assay and cytological methods were used to analyze cell viability and apoptosis in NSCLC cell line PC-9R. Both TF and gefitinib suppressed PC-9R cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. Subtoxic concentrations of TF did significantly augment gefitinib-induced apoptosis in PC-9R cell line. The TF promoted chemosensitivity was major mediated by the PARP and caspases activation. Meanwhile, the TF promoted chemosensitivity also decreased the expression of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1. Finally, TF significantly reduced the phosphorylation levels of STAT3 and ERK. Altogether, the results of the present study indicated the potential mechanisms of chemosensitivity of TF in gefitinib-induced apoptosis of NSCLC by downregulating ERK and STAT3 signaling pathways and Bcl2 and Mcl-1 expression and a promising application of TF in therapy of NSCLC with gefitinib resistant.
