Effector-activated immune responses in potato and tobacco cell cultures caused by phytopathogen Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus

Abstract

Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cell cultures and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) of two varieties experiencing the action of bacterial pathogen Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus (Cms) was investigated. The intensity and dynamics of the changes in hydrogen peroxide concentration observed in these cultures provided evidence for the development in tobacco of the effector-activated immune responses and the induction of the same type of responses but with low intensity for resistant potato variety and the inhibition of the defense mechanisms for its susceptible variety. This is in accordance with the data concerning the dynamics of plant cell culture death as well as the results obtained earlier on the whole plants. The experiments performed had also the purpose to elucidate whether the development of the above responses on the ability of bacteria Cms to form biofilms during plant infection. It was shown that this ability of Cms is significantly inhibited upon the combined cultivation of it with the plant cells exerting the responses of the effector-activated immunity and represented by the cells of tobacco and resistant potato variety. In the case of susceptible potato variety, the process of the biofilm formation was suppressed by the plant only to a slight extent. In addition, the fact concerning the participation of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in the development of the effector-activated immune responses was revealed.