Abstract
TAD1 (Triticum aestivum defensin 1) is a plant defensin specifically induced by low temperature in winter wheat. In this study, we demonstrated that TAD1 accumulated in the apoplast during cold acclimation and displayed antifungal activity against the pink snow mold fungi Microdochium nivale. When M. nivale was treated with TAD1, Congo red-stainable extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) were produced. The EPS were degradable by cellulase treatment, suggesting the involvement of β-1,4 glucans. Interestingly, when the fungus was treated with FITC-labeled TAD1, fluorescent signals were observed within the EPS layer. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that the EPS plays a role as a physical barrier against antimicrobial proteins secreted by plants. We anticipate that the findings from our study will have broad impact and will increase our understanding of plant–snow mold interactions under snow.
Highlights
TAD1 (Triticum aestivum defensin 1) is a plant defensin induced by low temperature in winter wheat
In northern areas with deep and persistent snow, winter cereals such as wheat and rye often suffer from snow mold diseases caused by fungi such as Microdochium nivale, Typhula ishikariensis, and Sclerotinia borealis, while they are protected from freezing under the snow cover
We identified a plant defensin gene, TAD1 (Triticum aestivum defensin 1), that is induced by cold treatment in winter wheat [5]
Summary
TAD1 (Triticum aestivum defensin 1) is a plant defensin induced by low temperature in winter wheat. We demonstrated that TAD1 accumulated in the apoplast during cold acclimation and displayed antifungal activity against the pink snow mold fungi Microdochium nivale. It has been reported that resistance against snow mold fungus increases during cold acclimation in overwintering plants such as winter wheat [2], barley [3], and Arabidopsis [4]. (Triticum aestivum defensin 1), that is induced by cold treatment in winter wheat [5]. We report that the TAD1 protein accumulates in apoplasts of wheat leaf tissue during cold acclimation and suggest its involvement in cold-induced resistance against
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