Defensin-like Protein Homologues Participate in Antiviral Resistance in Nicotiana benthamiana

Plant defensin-like proteins, as the core effector molecules of innate immunity, play an important role in resistance against fungi and bacteria. However, their function in plant antiviral resistance remains unclear. Here, NbDLP, a defensin-like protein from Nicotiana benthamiana (N. benthamiana), is identified through transcriptome analysis. NbDLP is upregulated upon viral infection of Tobacco Vein Mottling Virus (TVMV). Then, we cloned NbDLP into plant expression vector by gateway recombination to obtain pEAQ-NbDLP. We found that the transient expression of NbDLP in N. benthamiana could significantly inhibit TVMV, TuMV and TMV infection. Further, silencing NbDLP contributed to TuMV and TMV infection. In conclusion, the results indicate that NbDLP participates in the plant antiviral resistance against plant viral infection and might be used for defining antiviral strategies in application points.