Abstract
In Arabidopsis thaliana, a hypersensitive-like response (HR-like) is triggered underneath the eggs of the large white butterfly Pieris brassicae, and this response is dependent on salicylic acid (SA) accumulation and signaling. Previous reports indicate that the clade I L-type lectin receptor kinase LecRK-I.8 is involved in early steps of egg recognition. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was used to better characterize the genetic structure of HR-like and discover loci that contribute to this response. We report here the identification of LecRK-I.1, a close homolog of LecRK-I.8, and show that two main haplotypes that explain part of the variation in HR-like segregate amongst natural Arabidopsis accessions. In addition, signatures of balancing selection at this locus suggest that it may be ecologically important. Disruption of LecRK-I.1 resulted in decreased HR-like and SA signaling, indicating that this protein is important for the observed responses. Furthermore, we provide evidence that LecRK-I.1 functions in the same signaling pathway as LecRK-I.8. Altogether, our results show that the response to eggs of P. brassicae is controlled by LecRKs that operate at various steps of the signaling pathway.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Footnotes
The abstract was modified to summarize the results more precisely.
