Analysis of Grapevine's Somatic Embryogenesis Receptor Kinase (SERK) Gene Family: Overexpression Enhances Disease Resistance.

The somatic embryogenesis receptor kinase (SERK) gene family has been intensively studied in several plant species. Here we confirmed the existence of five genes in grapevine (Chinese wild grapevine ) and named them , , , , and . Analysis of the predicted structures of these SERK proteins revealed they include a signal peptide domain, a leucine zipper domain, a Ser-Pro-Pro domain, a single transmembrane domain, different leucine-rich repeats, and an intracellular kinase activity domain. The genes of grapevine showed different gene expression patterns when treated with powdery mildew () and hormones (salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, abscisic acid, and ethylene). Subcellular localization assays confirmed that VqSERK family proteins localized to the cell membrane. Moreover, we cloned the gene from the Chinese wild grapevine clone 'Shang-24'. Heterologous expression in the mutant lines restored control of cell death, increased resistance to powdery mildew, and strengthened stomatal immunity. Our work may provide the foundation for further studies of genes for pathogen resistance and hormone treatment in grapevine.