Characterization of the wheat cultivars against Tilletia controversa K\xfchn, causal agent of wheat dwarf bunt

Ghulam Muhae-Ud-Din,Taiguo Liu,Delai Chen,Li Gao,Wanquan Chen

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-65748-w

Abstract

Wheat is one of the most important staple crops. Tilletia controversa Kühn is the causal agent of wheat dwarf bunt. In this study, a resistant wheat cultivar displayed significantly higher expression of pathogenesis-related genes than a susceptible cultivar at 7 days post inoculation (DPI) with T. controversa. Similarly, the expression was high in the resistant cultivar after exogenous application of phytohormones, including salicylic acid. The expression of pathogenesis-related genes, especially chitinase 4, was high in the resistant cultivar, while LPT-1 was down regulated after T. controversa infection. Callose deposition was greater in the resistant cultivar than in the susceptible cultivar at 10 DPI. Confocal microscopy was used to track the fungal hyphae in both cultivars in anther and ovary cells. The anthers and ovaries of the susceptible cultivar were infected by T. controversa at 7 and 15 DPI. There were no fungal hyphae in anther and ovary cells in the resistant cultivar until 10 and 23 DPI, respectively. Moreover, anther length and width were negatively influenced by T. controversa at 16 DPI. The plant height was also affected by fungal infection. Ultimately, resistance to T. controversa was achieved in cultivars via the regulation of the expression of defense-related and pathogenesis-related genes.

Highlights

Wheat is one of the most important staple crops
The expression reached a peak at 7 days post inoculation (DPI), an increase of 4.14-fold compared to the control
The expression level continuously increased in the resistant cultivar, becoming 3.72-fold at 7 DPI in the resistant cultivar compared to control, but remaining almost the same in the susceptible cultivar (Fig. 1c)

Summary

Introduction

Wheat is one of the most important staple crops. Tilletia controversa Kühn is the causal agent of wheat dwarf bunt. A resistant wheat cultivar displayed significantly higher expression of pathogenesis-related genes than a susceptible cultivar at 7 days post inoculation (DPI) with T. controversa. The expression of pathogenesis-related genes, especially chitinase 4, was high in the resistant cultivar, while LPT-1 was down regulated after T. controversa infection. Resistance to T. controversa was achieved in cultivars via the regulation of the expression of defense-related and pathogenesis-related genes. Millions of teliospores of T. controversa can develop in a grain of wheat[15] Plants have both inducible and performed mechanisms against pathogen infection[16,17]. Pathogenesis-related proteins are a group of functionally diverse inducible proteins that accumulate in plant tissue in response to pathogen attack[18] These defense proteins are involved in active defense, potentially limiting pathogen development and spread[25]. Callose deposition in plants induces resistance against pathogens[33], which is typically triggered by conserved pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs)[34]

Methods

Results

Conclusion