Abstract
BackgroundThe genus Colletotrichum is one of the most economically important plant pathogens, causing anthracnose on a wide range of crops including common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Crop yield can be dramatically decreased depending on the plant cultivar used and the environmental conditions. This study aimed to identify potential genetic components of the bean immune system to provide environmentally friendly control measures against this fungus.Methodology and Principal FindingsAs the common bean is not amenable to reverse genetics to explore functionality and its genome is not fully curated, we used putative Arabidopsis orthologs of bean expressed sequence tag (EST) to perform bioinformatic analysis and experimental validation of gene expression to identify common bean genes regulated during the incompatible interaction with C. lindemuthianum. Similar to model pathosystems, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that hormone biosynthesis and signaling in common beans seem to be modulated by fungus infection. For instance, cytokinin and ethylene responses were up-regulated and jasmonic acid, gibberellin, and abscisic acid responses were down-regulated, indicating that these hormones may play a central role in this pathosystem. Importantly, we have identified putative bean gene orthologs of Arabidopsis genes involved in the plant immune system. Based on experimental validation of gene expression, we propose that hypersensitive reaction as part of effector-triggered immunity may operate, at least in part, by down-regulating genes, such as FLS2-like and MKK5-like, putative orthologs of the Arabidopsis genes involved in pathogen perception and downstream signaling.Conclusions/SignificanceWe have identified specific bean genes and uncovered metabolic processes and pathways that may be involved in the immune response against pathogens. Our transcriptome database is a rich resource for mining novel defense-related genes, which enabled us to develop a model of the molecular components of the bean innate immune system regulated upon pathogen attack.
Highlights
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the most important staple foods in developing countries and it has been suggested as a model species for studying legume crops [1,2]
Gene Ontology Analysis of Phaseolus vulgaris Transcripts To assess the overall changes in the transcriptional profile during the incompatible interaction between P. vulgaris and C. lindemuthianum, we compared two collections of expressed sequence tag (EST); one collection obtained from two libraries (PVEPLE1 and PVEPSE2) constructed with control, mock-inoculated seedling shoots and another one obtained from a library (PVEPSE3) constructed with fungus-inoculated seedling shoots [24]
Fungal penetration in the host cell occurs within 54 hours post inoculation and the proportion of affected cells increases over time [44]
Summary
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the most important staple foods in developing countries and it has been suggested as a model species for studying legume crops [1,2]. Anthracnose has been rated within the top 10 most important fungus-caused disease in plants based on its scientific and economic relevance [5]. Development of genetically resistant plants can minimize the occurrence of this disease and maximize crop production. To this end, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms by which plants recognize the presence of a pathogen as well as the molecular changes that occur in the host cell upon pathogen infection. The genus Colletotrichum is one of the most economically important plant pathogens, causing anthracnose on a wide range of crops including common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). This study aimed to identify potential genetic components of the bean immune system to provide environmentally friendly control measures against this fungus
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