Colonization with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Funneliformis mosseae enhanced the responses of tomato plants to mechanical wounding

Abstract

Insect herbivore feeding causes mechanical damage to plants, which can activate plant defense responses. Whether symbiosis with beneficial microorganisms can enhance the responses of plants to mechanical damage is of importance for plant anti-herbivore resistance. In this study, defense responses of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) plants to mechanical wounding was investigated after the tomato roots being infected by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Funneliformis mosseae. The results showed that in response to leaf mechanical wounding, the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and catalase (CAT) in the leaves of tomato pre-inoculated with AMF (FD), as well as transcript levels of genes encoding phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and β-1,3-glucanase (PR2) in the leaves and roots were significantly higher in relative to sole mechanical wounding (D), sole mycorrhizal inoculation (F), and control without mechanical wounding and mycorrhizal inoculation (CK). Although the activities of protective enzyme and transcript levels of the two defense-related genes were induced in the plants of sole mechanical wounding (D) and sole mycorrhizal inoculation (F), the induction was faster and stronger in the plants with leaf mechanical wounding and mycorrhizal pre-inoculation (FD). Our findings indicated that arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization could prime quicker and stronger defense responses of tomato plants to mechanical damage.