Root-to-shoot signalling in mycorrhizal tomato plants upon Botrytis cinerea infection

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis is restricted in roots, but it also improves shoot responses against leaf challenges, a phenomenon known as Mycorrhiza-Induced Resistance (MIR). This study focuses on mycorrhizal root signals that may orchestrate shoot defence responses. Metabolomic analysis of non-mycorrhizal and mycorrhizal plants upon Botrytis cinerea infection showed that roots rearrange their metabolome mostly in response to the symbiosis, whereas in shoots a stronger impact of the infection is observed. Specific clusters of compounds in shoots and roots display a priming profile suggesting an implication in the enhanced resistance observed in mycorrhizal plants. Among the primed pathways in roots, lignans showed the highest number of hits followed by oxocarboxylic acids, compounds of the amino acid metabolism, and phytohormones. The lignan yatein was present at higher concentrations in roots, root efflux and leaves of mycorrhizal plants This lignan displayed in vitro antimicrobial activity against B. cinerea and it was also functional protecting tomato plants. Besides, several JA defence-related genes were upregulated in mycorrhizal roots regardless of the pathogen infection, whereas PIN-II was primed in roots of mycorrhizal infected plants. These observations suggest that the enhanced resistance in shoots during MIR may be coordinated by lignans and oxylipins with the participation of roots.