Activation Of Plant Defense Responses Research Articles

The growth-promoting and disease-suppressing mechanisms of Trichoderma inoculation on peanut seedlings.

Trichoderma spp. is known for its ability to enhance plant growth and suppress disease, but the mechanisms for its interaction with host plants and pathogens remain unclear. This study investigated the transcriptomics and metabolomics of peanut plants (Arachis hypogaea L.) inoculated with Trichoderma harzianum QT20045, in the absence and presence of the stem rot pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii JN3011. Under the condition without pathogen stress, the peanut seedlings inoculated with QT20045 showed improved root length and plant weight, increased indole acetic acid (IAA) production, and reduced ethylene level, with more active 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate acid (ACC) synthase (ACS) and ACC oxidase (ACO), compared with the non-inoculated control. Under the pathogen stress, the biocontrol efficacy of QT20045 against S. rolfsii was 78.51%, with a similar effect on plant growth, and IAA and ethylene metabolisms to the condition with no biotic stress. Transcriptomic analysis of peanut root revealed that Trichoderma inoculation upregulated the expression of certain genes in the IAA family but downregulated the genes in the ACO family (AhACO1 and AhACO) and ACS family (AhACS3 and AhACS1) consistently in the absence and presence of pathogens. During pathogen stress, QT20045 inoculation leads to the downregulation of the genes in the pectinesterase family to keep the host plant's cell wall stable, along with upregulation of the AhSUMM2 gene to activate plant defense responses. In vitro antagonistic test confirmed that QT20045 suppressed S. rolfsii growth through mechanisms of mycelial entanglement, papillary protrusions, and decomposition. Our findings highlight that Trichoderma inoculation is a promising tool for sustainable agriculture, offering multiple benefits from pathogen control to enhanced plant growth and soil health.

Deacetylation of chitin oligomers by Fusarium graminearum polysaccharide deacetylase suppresses plant immunity.

Chitin is a long-chain polymer of β-1,4-linked N-acetylglucosamine that forms rigid microfibrils to maintain the hyphal form and protect it from host attacks. Chitin oligomers are first recognized by the plant receptors in the apoplast region, priming the plant's immune system. Here, seven polysaccharide deacetylases (PDAs) were identified and their activities on chitin substrates were investigated via systematic characterization of the PDA family from Fusarium graminearum. Among these PDAs, FgPDA5 was identified as an important virulence factor and was specifically expressed during pathogenesis. ΔFgpda5 compromised the pathogen's ability to infect wheat. The polysaccharide deacetylase structure of FgPDA5 is essential for the pathogenicity of F. graminearum. FgPDA5 formed a homodimer and accumulated in the plant apoplast. In addition, FgPDA5 showed a high affinity toward chitin substrates. FgPDA5-mediated deacetylation of chitin oligomers prevented activation of plant defence responses. Overall, our results identify FgPDA5 as a polysaccharide deacetylase that can prevent chitin-triggered host immunity in plant apoplast through deacetylation of chitin oligomers.

From root to shoot; Quantifying nematode tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana by high-throughput phenotyping of plant development.

Nematode migration, feeding site formation, withdrawal of plant assimilates, and activation of plant defence responses have a significant impact on plant growth and development. Plants display intraspecific variation in tolerance limits for root-feeding nematodes. Although disease tolerance has been recognised as a distinct trait in biotic interactions of mainly crops, we lack mechanistic insights. Progress is hampered by difficulties in quantification and laborious screening methods. We turned to the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, since it offers extensive resources to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying nematode-plant interactions. Through imaging of tolerance-related parameters the green canopy area was identified as an accessible and robust measure for assessing damage due to cyst nematode infection. Subsequently, a high-throughput phenotyping platform simultaneously measuring the green canopy area growth of 960 A. thaliana plants was developed. This platform can accurately measure cyst- and root-knot nematode tolerance limits in A. thaliana through classical modelling of tolerance limits. Furthermore, real-time monitoring provided data for a novel view of tolerance, identifying a compensatory growth response. These findings show that our phenotyping platform will enable further studies into a mechanistic understanding of tolerance to below-ground biotic stress.

Pathogenesis-Related Proteins (PRs) with Enzyme Activity Activating Plant Defense Responses.

Throughout evolution, plants have developed a highly complex defense system against different threats, including phytopathogens. Plant defense depends on constitutive and induced factors combined as defense mechanisms. These mechanisms involve a complex signaling network linking structural and biochemical defense. Antimicrobial and pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins are examples of this mechanism, which can accumulate extra- and intracellular space after infection. However, despite their name, some PR proteins are present at low levels even in healthy plant tissues. When they face a pathogen, these PRs can increase in abundance, acting as the first line of plant defense. Thus, PRs play a key role in early defense events, which can reduce the damage and mortality caused by pathogens. In this context, the present review will discuss defense response proteins, which have been identified as PRs, with enzymatic action, including constitutive enzymes, β-1,3 glucanase, chitinase, peroxidase and ribonucleases. From the technological perspective, we discuss the advances of the last decade applied to the study of these enzymes, which are important in the early events of higher plant defense against phytopathogens.

Wild Rosa Endophyte M7SB41-Mediated Host Plant's Powdery Mildew Resistance.

Our previous studies indicated that endophyte M7SB41 (Seimatosporium sp.) can significantly enhance host plants powdery mildew (PM) resistance. To recover the mechanisms, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were compared between E+ (endophte-inoculated) and E- (endophyte-free) plants by transcriptomics. A total of 4094, 1200 and 2319 DEGs between E+ and E- were identified at 0, 24, and 72 h after plants had been infected with PM pathogen Golovinomyces cichoracearum, respectively. Gene expression pattern analysis displayed a considerable difference and temporality in response to PM stress between the two groups. Transcriptional profiling analysis revealed that M7SB41 induced plant resistance to PM through Ca2+ signaling, salicylic acid (SA) signaling, and the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway. In particular, we investigated the role and the timing of the SA and jasmonic acid (JA)-regulated defensive pathways. Both transcriptomes and pot experiments showed that SA-signaling may play a prominent role in PM resistance conferred by M7SB41. Additionally, the colonization of M7SB41 could effectively increase the activities and the expression of defense-related enzymes under PM pathogen stress. Meanwhile, our study revealed reliable candidate genes from TGA (TGACG motif-binding factor), WRKY, and pathogenesis-related genes related to M7SB41-mediate resistance. These findings offer a novel insight into the mechanisms of endophytes in activating plant defense responses.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi-mediated activation of plant defense responses in direct seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.) against root-knot nematode Meloidogyne graminicola.

Rhizosphere is the battlefield of beneficial and harmful (so called phytopathogens) microorganisms. Moreover, these microbial communities are struggling for their existence in the soil and playing key roles in plant growth, mineralization, nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning. In the last few decades, some consistent pattern have been detected so far that link soil community composition and functions with plant growth and development; however, it has not been studied in detail. AM fungi are model organisms, besides potential role in nutrient cycling; they modulate biochemical pathways directly or indirectly which lead to better plant growth under biotic and abiotic stress conditions. In the present investigations, we have elucidated the AM fungi-mediated activation of plant defense responses against Meloidogyne graminicola causing root-knot disease in direct seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.). The study describes the multifarious effects of Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizophagus fasciculatus, and Rhizophagus intraradices inoculated individually or in combination under glasshouse conditions in rice plants. It was found that F. mosseae, R. fasciculatus and R. intraradices when applied individually or in combination modulated the biochemical and molecular mechanisms in the susceptible and resistant inbred lines of rice. AM inoculation significantly increased various plant growth attributes in plants with simultaneous decrease in the root-knot intensity. Among these, the combined application of F. mosseae, R. fasciculatus, and R. intraradices was found to enhance the accumulation and activities of biomolecules and enzymes related to defense priming as well as antioxidation in the susceptible and resistant inbred lines of rice pre-challenged with M. graminicola. The application of F. mosseae, R. fasciculatus and R. intraradices, induced the key genes involved in plant defense and signaling and it has been demonstrated for the first time. Results of the present investigation advocated that the application of F. mosseae, R. fasciculatus and R. intraradices, particularly a combination of all three, not only helped in the control of root-knot nematodes but also increased plant growth as well as enhances the gene expression in rice. Thus, it proved to be an excellent biocontrol as well as plant growth-promoting agent in rice even when the crop is under biotic stress of the root-knot nematode, M. graminicola.

Identification of miRNAs Involved in Maize-Induced Systemic Resistance Primed by Trichoderma harzianum T28 against Cochliobolus heterostrophus.

microRNAs (miRNAs) are known to play important roles in the immune response to pathogen infection in different plants. Further, Trichoderma strains are able to activate plant defense responses against pathogen attacks. However, little is known about the involvement of miRNAs in the defense response primed by Trichoderma strains. To explore the miRNAs sensitive to priming by Trichoderma, we studied the small RNAs and transcriptome changes in maize leaves that were systemically induced by seed treatment with Trichoderma harzianum (strain T28) against Cochliobolus heterostrophus (C. heterostrophus) infection in leaves. Through analysis of the sequencing data, 38 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and 824 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. GO and KEGG analyses of DEGs demonstrated that genes involved in the plant hormone signal transduction pathway and oxidation-reduction process were significantly enriched. In addition, 15 miRNA-mRNA interaction pairs were identified through the combined analysis of DEMs and DEGs. These pairs were supposed to play roles in the maize resistance primed by T. harzianum T28 to C. heterostrophus, in which miR390, miR169j, miR408b, miR395a/p, and novel miRNA (miRn5231) were more involved in the induction of maize resistance. This study provided valuable information for understanding the regulatory role of miRNA in the T. harzianum primed defense response.

The grapevine LysM receptor-like kinase VvLYK5-1 recognizes chitin oligomers through its association with VvLYK1-1.

The establishment of defense reactions to protect plants against pathogens requires the recognition of invasion patterns (IPs), mainly detected by plasma membrane-bound pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Some IPs, also termed elicitors, are used in several biocontrol products that are gradually being developed to reduce the use of chemicals in agriculture. Chitin, the major component of fungal cell walls, as well as its deacetylated derivative, chitosan, are two elicitors known to activate plant defense responses. However, recognition of chitooligosaccharides (COS) in Vitis vinifera is still poorly understood, hampering the improvement and generalization of protection tools for this important crop. In contrast, COS perception in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana is well described and mainly relies on a tripartite complex formed by the cell surface lysin motif receptor-like kinases (LysM-RLKs) AtLYK1/CERK1, AtLYK4 and AtLYK5, the latter having the strongest affinity for COS. In grapevine, COS perception has for the moment only been demonstrated to rely on two PRRs VvLYK1-1 and VvLYK1-2. Here, we investigated additional players by overexpressing in Arabidopsis the two putative AtLYK5 orthologs from grapevine, VvLYK5-1 and VvLYK5-2. Expression of VvLYK5-1 in the atlyk4/5 double mutant background restored COS sensitivity, such as chitin-induced MAPK activation, defense gene expression, callose deposition and conferred non-host resistance to grapevine downy mildew (Erysiphe necator). Protein-protein interaction studies conducted in planta revealed a chitin oligomer-triggered interaction between VvLYK5-1 and VvLYK1-1. Interestingly, our results also indicate that VvLYK5-1 mediates the perception of chitin but not chitosan oligomers showing a part of its specificity.

Novel 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid amide derivatives show dual-acting capabilities for controlling plant bacterial diseases through ROS-mediated antibacterial efficiency and activating plant defense responses

Natural products have long been a crucial source of, or provided inspiration for new agrochemical discovery. Naturally occurring 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid shows broad-spectrum bioactivities and is a potential skeleton for novel drug discovery. To extend the utility of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid for agricultural uses, a series of novel 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid amide derivatives were prepared and evaluated for their antibacterial potency. Notably, compound 5k showed good antibacterial activity in vitro against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo, EC50=3.64 mg L–1), and excellent protective activity (54.68%) against Xoo in vivo. Compound 5k induced excessive production and accumulation of reactive oxygen species in the tested pathogens, resulting in damaging the bacterial cell envelope. More interestingly, compound 5k could increase the activities of plant defense enzymes including catalase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase. Taken together, these enjoyable results suggested that designed compounds derived from 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid showed potential for controlling intractable plant bacterial diseases by disturbing the balance of the phytopathogen’s redox system and activating the plant defense system.

The calcium sensor CBL7 is required for Serendipita indica-induced growth stimulation in Arabidopsis thaliana, controlling defense against the endophyte and K+ homoeostasis in the symbiosis.

Calcium is an important second messenger in plants. The activation of Ca2+ signalling cascades is critical in the activation of adaptive processes in response to environmental stimuli. Root colonization by the growth promoting endophyte Serendipita indica involves the increase of cytosolic Ca2+ levels in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we investigated transcriptional changes in Arabidopsis roots during symbiosis with S. indica. RNA-seq profiling disclosed the induction of Calcineurin B-like 7 (CBL7) during earlyand later phases of the interaction. Consistently, reverse genetic evidence highlighted the functional relevance of CBL7 and tested the involvement of a CBL7-CBL-interacting protein kinase 13signalling pathway. The loss-of-function of CBL7 abolished the growth promoting effect and affected root colonization. The transcriptomics analysis of cbl7 revealed the involvement of this Ca2+ sensor in activating plant defense responses. Furthermore, we report on the contribution of CBL7 to potassium transport in Arabidopsis. We analysed K+ contents in wild-type and cbl7 plants and observed a significant increase of K+ in roots of cbl7 plants, while shoot tissues demonstrated K+ depletion. Taken together, our work associates CBL7 with an important role in the mutual interaction between Arabidopsis and S. indica and links CBL7 to K+ transport.

Signatures of plant defense response specificity mediated by herbivore-associated molecular patterns in legumes.

Chewing herbivores activate plant defense responses through a combination of mechanical wounding and elicitation by herbivore-associated molecular patterns (HAMPs). HAMPs are wound response amplifiers; however, specific defense outputs may also exist that strictly require HAMP-mediated defense signaling. To investigate HAMP-mediated signaling and defense responses, we characterized cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) transcriptome changes following elicitation by inceptin, a peptide HAMP common in Lepidoptera larvae oral secretions. Following inceptin treatment, we observed large-scale reprogramming of the transcriptome consistent with three different response categories: (i) amplification of mechanical wound responses, (ii) temporal extension through accelerated or prolonged responses, and (iii) examples of inceptin-specific elicitation and suppression. At both early and late timepoints, namely 1 and 6 h, large sets of transcripts specifically accumulated following inceptin elicitation. Further early inceptin-regulated transcripts were classified as reversing changes induced by wounding alone. Within key signaling- and defense-related gene families, inceptin-elicited responses included target subsets of wound-induced transcripts. Transcripts displaying the largest inceptin-elicited fold changes included transcripts encoding terpene synthases (TPSs) and peroxidases (POXs) that correspond with induced volatile production and increased POX activity in cowpea. Characterization of inceptin-elicited cowpea defenses via heterologous expression in Nicotiana benthamiana demonstrated that specific cowpea TPSs and POXs were able to confer terpene emission and the reduced growth of beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua) herbivores, respectively. Collectively, our present findings in cowpea support a model where HAMP elicitation both amplifies concurrent wound responses and specifically contributes to the activation of selective outputs associated with direct and indirect antiherbivore defenses.

Molecular analysis of nematode-responsive defence genes CRF1, WRKY45, and PR7 in Solanum lycopersicum tissues during the infection of plant-parasitic nematode species of the genus Meloidogyne.

Several pathogens, including nematodes, have severe effects on plant development and growth, and immense populations of parasitic nematodes may cause plant death and crop loss. Obligate plant-parasitic nematodes and root-knot nematodes belonging to the genus Meloidogyne are significant parasites in crops. During nematode infection, damage-associated molecular patterns play a role in the activation of plant defence responses to pathogens. Several genes are involved in Meloidogyne parasitism. However, the expression of nematode-responsive genes CRF1, WRKY45, and PR7 during infection with different parasitic nematode species is not well understood. Therefore, this study aimed to reveal plant responses to differential gene expression of nematode-responsive genes in tomato plants, and their relationship to nematode reproduction and comparative phylogeny. Molecular methods for gene expression, greenhouse work for nematode reproduction, and phylogenetic analysis were used to determine nematode-plant interactions. The results revealed that differential gene expression of CRF1, WRKY45, and PR7 depended on the nematode species. The relative CRF1 gene expression reached its highest level at 3 dpi, following nematode infection. In conclusion, plant defense responses disturbed the expression of nematode-responsive genes, and the differential expression of nematode-responsive genes was affected by nematode species and nematode parasitism.

The effect of abiotic and biotic stresses on the production of bioactive compounds in tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze)

Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) is the most famous, flavored, functional, and therapeutic non-alcoholic beverage, with two-thirds of the world's population drinking it. Tea leaves are demonstrated to contain many bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, amino acids, volatile compounds, and alkaloids, all of which have a good potential of biomedical uses. In plants under stress, including diverse elicitors or signal molecules, accumulation of such metabolites occurs frequently. In adapting plants to the ecosystem and alleviating stress conditions, phytochemicals play a significant role. Ecological factors may be categorized into biotic and abiotic factors which may be artificially induced to activate plant defense responses due to the generation of bioactive compounds. Different biotic and abiotic factors are directly linked to the productivity of tea. Abiotic and biotic factors such as temperature, cold, nutrition, shading, humidity, light intensity, water supply, mechanical, nutrition influence the growth of the plant and the production of the bioactive compounds in tea. Biotic and abiotic factors are versatile tools for the overproduction of valuable metabolites in tea. In this review, an update will be provided on current research focusing on the response of tea to an integration of various stresses. In specific, we will discuss how various stress responses are integrated and how they affect plant growth and physiological characteristics.

An efficient direct screening system for microorganisms that activate plant immune responses based on plant\u2013microbe interactions using cultured plant cells

Microorganisms that activate plant immune responses have attracted considerable attention as potential biocontrol agents in agriculture because they could reduce agrochemical use. However, conventional methods to screen for such microorganisms using whole plants and pathogens are generally laborious and time consuming. Here, we describe a general strategy using cultured plant cells to identify microorganisms that activate plant defense responses based on plant–microbe interactions. Microbial cells were incubated with tobacco BY-2 cells, followed by treatment with cryptogein, a proteinaceous elicitor of tobacco immune responses secreted by an oomycete. Cryptogein-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in BY-2 cells served as a marker to evaluate the potential of microorganisms to activate plant defense responses. Twenty-nine bacterial strains isolated from the interior of Brassica rapa var. perviridis plants were screened, and 8 strains that enhanced cryptogein-induced ROS production in BY-2 cells were selected. Following application of these strains to the root tip of Arabidopsis seedlings, two strains, Delftia sp. BR1R-2 and Arthrobacter sp. BR2S-6, were found to induce whole-plant resistance to bacterial pathogens (Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 and Pectobacterium carotovora subsp. carotovora NBRC 14082). Pathogen-induced expression of plant defense-related genes (PR-1, PR-5, and PDF1.2) was enhanced by the pretreatment with strain BR1R-2. This cell–cell interaction-based platform is readily applicable to large-scale screening for microorganisms that enhance plant defense responses under various environmental conditions.

Hydrolysis Kinetics of a Novel 3,4-Dichloroisothiazole Plant-Activator Candidate LY5-24-2 by UPLC-Q-TOF

Hydrolysis characteristics of a novel 3,4-dichloroisothiazole based fungicide with activating plant defense responses as a candidate plant-activator LY5-24-2 were investigated under different conditions (pH and temperature) using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and quadrupole Time-of-Flight (Q-TOF). The hydrolysis case complied with the first-order kinetic model, with half-lives ranging from 4.8h to 3.2days at pH 4, 7, 9 and temperature at 25 and 50℃. One of the hydrolysis metabolite 3,4-dichloroisothiazole-5-carboxylic acid (metabolite 1, M1) was determined and quantified using authentic standard. The other hydrolysate 3-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl) pyridin-2-amine (metabolite 2, M2) was determined and identified according to accurate mass information, fragmentation patterns and principle component analysis (PCA). By utilizing high-resolution mass spectrometry and multivariate statistical analysis, hydrolysis dynamic of the metabolites was characterized and figured out. This research provided a non-target screening method to analyze hydrolysis metabolites of a new plant-activator and to find its degradation products in aqueous solution.

A Meloidogyne graminicola Pectate Lyase Is Involved in Virulence and Activation of Host Defense Responses.

Plant-parasitic nematodes secrete an array of cell-wall-degrading enzymes to overcome the physical barrier formed by the plant cell wall. Here, we describe a novel pectate lyase gene Mg-PEL1 from M. graminicola. Quantitative real-time PCR assay showed that the highest transcriptional expression level of Mg-PEL1 occurred in pre-parasitic second-stage juveniles, and it was still detected during the early parasitic stage. Using in situ hybridization, we showed that Mg-PEL1 was expressed exclusively within the subventral esophageal gland cells of M. graminicola. The yeast signal sequence trap system revealed that it possessed an N-terminal signal peptide with secretion function. Recombinant Mg-PEL1 exhibited hydrolytic activity toward polygalacturonic acid. Rice plants expressing RNA interference vectors targeting Mg-PEL1 showed an increased resistance to M. graminicola. In addition, using an Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression system and plant immune response assays, we demonstrated that the cell wall localization of Mg-PEL1 was required for the activation of plant defense responses, including programmed plant cell death, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and expression of defense-related genes. Taken together, our results indicated that Mg-PEL1 could enhance the pathogenicity of M. graminicola and induce plant immune responses during nematode invasion into plants or migration in plants. This provides a new insight into the function of pectate lyases in plants-nematodes interaction.

Response of mirid predators to synthetic herbivore‐induced plant volatiles

AbstractZoophytophagous plant bugs feed on plant tissue as a source of water and nutrients, besides feeding on prey. By phytophagy, mirid predators activate plant defense responses through different pathways, resulting, among others, in the release of herbivore‐induced plant volatiles (HIPVs). These compounds could repel herbivores and attract parasitoids and predators, and synthetic versions could potentially be used in biological control. Nevertheless, little is known about the influence of synthetic volatiles on mirid attraction. Using Y‐tube olfactometer trials, we evaluated the responses of Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter), Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur), and Dicyphus bolivari Lindberg (Hemiptera: Miridae), important natural enemies used to control various greenhouse pests, to 10 synthetic versions of HIPVs released from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L., Solanaceae) plants induced by N. tenuis and M. pygmaeus. Nesidiocoris tenuis responded to five of the 10 HIPVs, whereas M. pygmaeus and D. bolivari responded to four of the 10 HIPVs. Two green leaf volatiles, (Z)‐3‐hexenyl propanoate and (Z)‐3‐hexenyl acetate, and the ester methyl salicylate (MeSA) were attractive to all three mirid predator species. Our results demonstrate that the volatiles released by tomato plants activated by N. tenuis and M. pygmaeus phytophagy are attractive to their conspecifics and also to D. bolivari. Further studies should evaluate the potential of these compounds to attract predatory mirids in the field.

Reynoutria sachalinensis extract elicits SA-dependent defense responses in courgette genotypes against powdery mildew caused by Podosphaera xanthii

Powdery mildew (PM) caused by Podosphaera xanthii is one of the most important courgette diseases with high yield losses and is currently controlled by fungicides and sulphur applications in conventional and organic production. Plant derived elicitors/inducers of resistance are natural compounds that induce resistance to pathogen attack and promote a faster and/or more robust activation of plant defense responses. Giant knotweed (Reynoutria sachalinensis, RS) extract is a known elicitor of plant defenses but its mode of action remains elusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of foliar RS applications and how these affect PM severity and crop performance when used alone or in combination with genetic resistance. RS foliar treatments significantly reduced conidial germination and PM severity on both an intermediate resistance (IR) and a susceptible (S) genotype. RS application triggered plant defense responses, which induced the formation of callose papillae, hydrogen peroxide accumulation and the Salicylic acid (SA) - dependent pathway. Increased SA production was detected along with increased p-coumaric and caffeic acid concentrations. These findings clearly indicate that RS elicits plant defenses notably as a consequence of SA pathway induction.

Soybean Stem Canker Caused by Diaporthe caulivora; Pathogen Diversity, Colonization Process, and Plant Defense Activation.

Soybean is an important crop in South America, and its production is limited by fungal diseases caused by species from the genus Diaporthe, including seed decay, pod and stem blight, and soybean stem canker (SSC). In this study, we focused on Diaporthe species isolated from soybean plants with SSC lesions in different parts of Uruguay. Diaporthe diversity was determined by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of ribosomal RNA and a partial region of the translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (TEF1α). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the isolates belong to five defined groups of Diaporthe species, Diaporthe caulivora and Diaporthe longicolla being the most predominant species present in stem canker lesions. Due to the importance of D. caulivora as the causal agent of SSC in the region and other parts of the world, we further characterized the interaction of this pathogen with soybean. Based on genetic diversity of D. caulivora isolates evaluated with inter-sequence single repetition (ISSR), three different isolates were selected for pathogenicity assays. Differences in virulence were observed among the selected D. caulivora isolates on susceptible soybean plants. Further inspection of the infection and colonization process showed that D. caulivora hyphae are associated with trichomes in petioles, leaves, and stems, acting probably as physical adhesion sites of the hyphae. D. caulivora colonized the stem rapidly reaching the phloem and the xylem at 72 h post-inoculation (hpi), and after 96 hpi, the stem was heavily colonized. Infected soybean plants induce reinforcement of the cell walls, evidenced by incorporation of phenolic compounds. In addition, several defense genes were induced in D. caulivora–inoculated stems, including those encoding a pathogenesis-related protein-1 (PR-1), a PR-10, a β-1,3-glucanase, two chitinases, two lipoxygenases, a basic peroxidase, a defensin, a phenylalanine-ammonia lyase, and a chalcone synthase. This study provides new insights into the interaction of soybean with D. caulivora, an important pathogen causing SSC, and provides information on the activation of plant defense responses.

Identification and characterization of a spotted-leaf mutant spl40 with enhanced bacterial blight resistance in rice

BackgroundSpotted leaf mutants show typical necrotic lesions that appear spontaneously in the absence of any pathogen attack. These mutants are often characterized to exhibit programmed cell death (PCD) and activation of plant defense responses resulting in enhanced disease resistance to multiple pathogens. Here, we reported a novel spotted-leaf mutant, spl40 that showed enhanced disease resistance response.ResultsInitially lesions appeared at leaf tips during seedling stage and gradually covered the whole leaf at the tillering stage. The lesion development was light-dependent. spl40 showed obvious cell death at and around the lesion, and burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was accompanied by disturbed ROS scavenging system. Photosynthetic capacity was compromised as evidenced by significant reductions in chlorophyll content, important photosynthesis parameters and downregulated expression of photosynthesis-related genes which ultimately led to poor performance of major agronomic traits. spl40 exhibited enhanced resistance to 14 out of 16 races of bacterial blight pathogen of rice, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, most probably though activation of SA and JA signaling pathways, owing to upregulated expression of SA and JA signaling genes, though the exact mechanism remain to be elucidated. The spotted-leaf phenotype was controlled by a novel single recessive nuclear gene. Genetic mapping combined with high throughput sequencing analysis identified Os05G0312000 as the most probable candidate gene. Sequencing of ORF revealed a single SNP change from C to T that resulted in non-synonymous change in amino acid residue from leucine to phenylalanine. Interestingly, the complementation plants did not display lesions before heading but showed lesions at the heading stage and the transgenic T1 progenies could be classified into 3 categories based on their lesion intensity, indicating the complex genetic nature of the spl40 mutation.ConclusionThe results obtained here clearly show that genes related to defense and PCD were upregulated in accordance with enhanced disease resistance and occurrence of PCD, whereas the photosynthetic capacity and overall ROS homeostasis was compromised in spl40. Our data suggest that a novel spotted-leaf mutant, spl40, would help to elucidate the mechanism behind lesion development involving programmed cell death and associated defense responses.