Abstract
Roots are important organs for plant survival. In recent years, clear differences between roots and shoots in their respective plant defense strategies have been highlighted. Some putative gene markers of defense responses usually used in leaves are less relevant in roots and are sometimes not even expressed. Immune responses in roots appear to be tissue-specific suggesting a compartmentalization of defense mechanisms in root systems. Furthermore, roots are able to activate specific defense mechanisms in response to various elicitors including Molecular/Pathogen Associated Molecular Patterns, (MAMPs/PAMPs), signal compounds (e.g., hormones) and plant defense activator (e.g., β-aminobutyric acid, BABA). This review discusses recent findings in root defense mechanisms and illustrates the necessity to discover new root specific biomarkers. The development of new strategies to control root disease and improve crop quality will also be reviewed.
Highlights
In the natural environment, plants are continuously exposed to diverse pathogens that affect crop production and food security
Plancot et al, 2013 demonstrated that border-like cells (BLCs) from A. thaliana are able to perceive MAMPs and activate defense responses by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as callose deposition. These findings suggest that BLCs are probably involved in root defense in a similar manner to the root border cells (BCs)
It was recently demonstrated that systemic acquire resistance (SAR) is transmissible through the root system from SAR-triggered plants to their neighboring plants when treated with benzothiadiazole (BTH) (Song et al, 2010; Cheol Song et al, 2016). These results provide novel insights that can help in the development of new strategies for enhancing root defense capacities and effectively inducing resistance against plant pathogens in target crops
Summary
Plants are continuously exposed to diverse pathogens that affect crop production and food security. The generic term elicitor refers to any compound that triggers plant responses in various ways: MAMPs/PAMPs/DAMPs, signaling compounds (salicylic acid, Root Specific Immune Responses methyl-jasmonate), priming agents and plant defense activators (PDAs) used for agricultural practices (e.g., β-aminobutyric acid, BABA). The perception of such elicitors triggers the activation of a non-host resistance known as Pathogen- or Pattern-Triggered Immunity (PTI) (Jones and Dangl, 2006; Bigeard et al, 2015). The ability of pathogen mimicking molecules, referred as PDAs on stimulating root defense mechanisms will be discussed
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