Abstract
Grapevine, Vitis vinifera L., is one of the most cultivated fruit plants worldwide with high economic value. Powdery mildew and gray mold diseases, caused by Erysiphe necator and Botrytis cinerea, respectively, are within the most devastating diseases, which are controlled by using several fungicide applications over a single growing season. A more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative for pest control is associated to the development of breeding programs, in which American and Asian Vitis species, presenting natural resistance characteristics, are crossed with V. vinifera varieties that are susceptible to diseases caused by fungal or oomycete pathogens. As a result, new grapevine varieties that combine the good berry quality with a high degree of resistance to grapevine pathogens are obtained. One example is the Vitis vinifera cv ‘Regent’ that acquired high tolerance degree against E. necator and Plasmopara viticola. To ensure durable resistance introgression in breeding programs, a full understanding of grapevine defence mechanisms is crucial. Previous studies on grapevine-P. viticola pathosystem have suggested the participation of serine proteases in the establishment of the interaction between both organisms, which is the case of VviSBT4.19 X1. The gene expression of this subtilase increases up to 300-fold 6 hours after ‘Regent’ inoculation with P. viticola. Nowadays, no information is available about the participation of subtilases in grapevine response to E. necator and B. cinerea infection. In the present study, the gene expression profile of VviSBT4.19 X1 in the first hours of ‘Regent’ inoculation with E. necator and B. cinerea was analysed to understand its response towards different pathogenic agents.
Highlights
Vitis vinifera L. is a domesticated Vitis species as a result of natural and human influences for thousands of years leading to the development of about 5000 different grapevine varieties worldwide (This et al, 2006)
In Vitis vinifera cv ‘Regent’ plants inoculated with Plasmopara viticola, a subtilase, VviSBT4.19 X1, potentially involved in the establishment of an effective defence response against pathogens, was identified (Figueiredo et al, 2016)
After inoculation of ‘Regent’ leaves with B. cinerea, no significant differences in VviSBT4.19 X1 gene expression were observed, in both analysed time-points (6 hpi: 0.84 ± 0.12 fold; 12 hpi: 1.09 ± 0.09 fold) – Figure 1. These results show that the infection of 'Regent' by these two pathogens does not appear to induce a significant variation in the level of expression of the VviSBT4.19X1 gene
Summary
Vitis vinifera L. is a domesticated Vitis species as a result of natural and human influences for thousands of years leading to the development of about 5000 different grapevine varieties worldwide (This et al, 2006). E. necator needs to cause a wound on the adaxial face of the leaf, so the conidium attaches to the tissue cells allowing the formation of a primary germ tube that differentiates into a specialized infectious structure, the appressorium. This causes a mechanical pressure on the leaf surface which results in the penetration of the pathogen in the host cells. The E. necator infection causes a declining in the sugar content and acidity of the berries leading to a reduction of fruit quality (Armijo et al, 2016)
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