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Plant Microbe Interaction 2019

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2019) | Viewed by 62034

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jan Schirawski

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Guest Editor

Microbial Genetics, Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
Interests: fungus-plant interaction; biotrophic fungi; smut fungi; host selection; symptom formation; comparative genomics; effector function
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Michael H. Perlin

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Guest Editor

Department of Biology, Program on Disease Evolution, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
Interests: host/pathogen interactions; smut fungi; evolution of disease; signal transduction; fungal dimorphism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microbes interact with plants at many different levels and plants have learned to deal with or even exploit the available microbes. While some microbes impact plant growth without entering the plant, many microbes do enter and spread in various plant tissues. In recent years, small proteinaecous effectors secreted by interacting microbes into plant tissues have emerged as a unifying theme. Effector discovery has been tremendously aided by the availability of next-generation sequencing techniques, which have also raised the analysis of the plant microbe interaction to a system-wide level. The system-wide approach also shows that plant growth and development is highly dependent on orchestrating the appropriate responses to different microbial interactors. The development and orchestration of plant responses have been refined through continuous selection pressure during plant and microbe evolution.

This Special Issue calls for review as well as original research articles that address the progress and current understanding of different aspects of the vast field of plant microbe interaction.

Prof. Dr. Jan Schirawski
Prof. Dr. Michael H. Perlin
Guest Editors

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Keywords

mechanisms of biotrophy
endophytes
strategies of foliar pathogens
root colonizing microbes
rhizophere and plant development
regulation of plant defenses
functional elucidation of plant-microbe interactors
effects of microbes on plant development

Published Papers (14 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 3515 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Cerato-Platanin Family Protein FocCP1 Is Essential for the Penetration and Virulence of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4

by Siwen Liu, Bo Wu, Jing Yang, Fangcheng Bi, Tao Dong, Qiaosong Yang, Chunhua Hu, Dandan Xiang, Hongrui Chen, Huoqing Huang, Chuange Shao, Yixiang Chen, Ganjun Yi, Chunyu Li and Xiuwu Guo

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(15), 3785; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms20153785 - 02 Aug 2019

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4046

Abstract

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4) is well-known as the causal agent of Fusarium wilt of banana and is one of the most destructive phytopathogens for banana plants. The molecular mechanisms underlying Foc TR4 virulence remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that a cerato-platanin (CP) protein, FocCP1, functions as a virulence factor that is required by Foc TR4 for penetration and full virulence. The FocCP1 gene was expressed in every condition studied, showing a high transcript level in planta at the early stage of infection. Infiltration of the recombinant FocCP1 protein induced significant cell death and upregulated defence-related gene expression. FocCP1 knock-out strains showed a significant decrease in aerial growth rather than aqueous growth, which is reminiscent of hydrophobins. Furthermore, deletion of FocCP1 significantly reduced virulence and dramatically reduced infective growth in banana roots, likely resulting from a defective penetration ability. Taken together, the results of this study provide novel insight into the function of the recently identified FocCP1 as a virulence factor in Foc TR4. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Microbe Interaction 2019)

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16 pages, 3735 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Culture Dependent and Independent Analysis of Potential Probiotic Bacterial Genera and Species Present in the Phyllosphere of Raw Eaten Produce

by Sascha Patz, Katja Witzel, Ann-Christin Scherwinski and Silke Ruppel

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(15), 3661; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms20153661 - 26 Jul 2019

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3747

Abstract

The plant phyllosphere is colonized by a complex ecosystem of microorganisms. Leaves of raw eaten vegetables and herbs are habitats for bacteria important not only to the host plant, but also to human health when ingested via meals. The aim of the current study was to determine the presence of putative probiotic bacteria in the phyllosphere of raw eaten produce. Quantification of bifidobacteria showed that leaves of Lepidium sativum L., Cichorium endivia L., and Thymus vulgaris L. harbor between 10³ and 10⁶ DNA copies per gram fresh weight. Total cultivable bacteria in the phyllosphere of those three plant species ranged from 10⁵ to 10⁸ CFU per gram fresh weight. Specific enrichment of probiotic lactic acid bacteria from C. endivia, T. vulgaris, Trigonella foenum-graecum L., Coriandrum sativum L., and Petroselinum crispum L. led to the isolation of 155 bacterial strains, which were identified as Pediococcus pentosaceus, Enterococcus faecium, and Bacillus species, based on their intact protein pattern. A comprehensive community analysis of the L. sativum leaves by PhyloChip hybridization revealed the presence of genera Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Streptococcus. Our results demonstrate that the phyllosphere of raw eaten produce has to be considered as a substantial source of probiotic bacteria and point to the development of vegetables and herbs with added probiotic value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Microbe Interaction 2019)

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21 pages, 2711 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Potential of Overexpressed OsCIPK2 Rice as a Nitrogen Utilization Efficient Crop and Analysis of Its Associated Rhizo-Compartmental Microbial Communities

by Muhammad Umar Khan, Penghui Li, Hira Amjad, Ali Qaiser Khan, Yasir Arafat, Muhammad Waqas, Zhong Li, Ali Noman, Waqar Islam, Linkun Wu, Zhixing Zhang and Wenxiong Lin

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(15), 3636; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms20153636 - 25 Jul 2019

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4390

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) is one of the indispensable factors in rice growth and development. China holds a premier position in the production of rice and at the same time also faces higher N fertilizer costs along with serious damage to the environment. A better solution is much needed to address these issues, without disrupting the production of rice as an important cereal, while minimizing all the deleterious effects on the environment. Two isogenic lines Kitaake (WT) and its genetically modified line CIPK2 (RC), overexpressing the gene for Calcineurin B-like interacting protein kinase 2 (OsCIPK2) with better nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), were compared for their growth and development under low versus normal levels of N. NUE is a complex trait mainly related to a plant’s efficiency in extraction, assimilation, and recycling of N from soil. The microbial population was analyzed using high-throughput Illumina Miseq 16S rRNA sequencing and found that RC with CIPK2, specifically expressed in rice root, not only performed better without nitrogen fertilizer (LN) but also increased the diversity of bacterial communities in rice rhizosphere compartments (rhizosphere, rhizoplane, and endosphere). The relative abundance of beneficial bacteria phyla increased, which are known to promote the circulation and transformation of N in rhizosphere soil. To further explore the potential of RC regarding better performance under LN, the ion fluxes in root apical were detected by non-invasive micro-test technique (NMT). We found that RC can absorb more Ca²⁺ and NO₃⁻ under LN as compared to WT. Finally, compared to WT, RC plants exhibited better growth of root and shoot, and increased yield and N uptake under LN, whereas there was no significant difference in the growth of two rice lines under normal nitrogen (NN) treatment. We are able to get preliminary results, dealing with the OsCIPK2 overexpressed rice line, by studying the rice molecular, physiological, and chemical parameters related to NUE. The results laid the foundation for further research on N absorption and utilization in rice from the soil and the interaction with microbial communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Microbe Interaction 2019)

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16 pages, 2321 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transgenic RXLR Effector PITG_15718.2 Suppresses Immunity and Reduces Vegetative Growth in Potato

by Jiao Wang, Cungang Gao, Long Li, Weilin Cao, Ran Dong, Xinhua Ding, Changxiang Zhu and Zhaohui Chu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(12), 3031; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms20123031 - 21 Jun 2019

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3049

Abstract

Phytophthora infestans causes the severe late blight disease of potato. During its infection process, P. infestans delivers hundreds of RXLR (Arg-x-Leu-Arg, x behalf of any one amino acid) effectors to manipulate processes in its hosts, creating a suitable environment for invasion and proliferation. Several effectors interact with host proteins to suppress host immunity and inhibit plant growth. However, little is known about how P. infestans regulates the host transcriptome. Here, we identified an RXLR effector, PITG_15718.2, which is upregulated and maintains a high expression level throughout the infection. Stable transgenic potato (Solanum tuberosum) lines expressing PITG_15718.2 show enhanced leaf colonization by P. infestans and reduced vegetative growth. We further investigated the transcriptional changes between three PITG_15718.2 transgenic lines and the wild type Désirée by using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). Compared with Désirée, 190 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 158 upregulated genes and 32 downregulated genes in PITG_15718.2 transgenic lines. Eight upregulated and nine downregulated DEGs were validated by real-time RT-PCR, which showed a high correlation with the expression level identified by RNA-Seq. These DEGs will help to explore the mechanism of PITG_15718.2-mediated immunity and growth inhibition in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Microbe Interaction 2019)

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11 pages, 897 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differential Function of Endogenous and Exogenous Abscisic Acid during Bacterial Pattern-Induced Production of Reactive Oxygen Species in Arabidopsis

by Leitao Tan, Qiuping Liu, Yufeng Song, Guangzhen Zhou, Linli Luan, Qingbei Weng and Chaozu He

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(10), 2544; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms20102544 - 23 May 2019

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3853

Abstract

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays important roles in positively or negatively regulating plant disease resistance to pathogens. Here, we reassess the role of endogenous and exogenous ABA by using: 35S::ABA2, a previously reported transgenic Arabidopsis line with increased endogenous ABA levels; aba2-1, a previously reported ABA2 mutant with reduced endogenous ABA levels; and exogenous application of ABA. We found that bacterial susceptibility promoted by exogenous ABA was suppressed in 35S::ABA2 plants. The 35S::ABA2 and aba2-1 plants displayed elevated and reduced levels, respectively, of bacterial flagellin peptide (flg22)-induced H₂O₂. Surprisingly, ABA pre-treatment reduced flg22-induced H₂O₂ generation. Exogenous, but not endogenous ABA, increased catalase activity. Loss of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase genes, RBOHD and RBOHF, restored exogenous ABA-promoted bacterial susceptibility of 35S::ABA2 transgenic plants. In addition, endogenous and exogenous ABA had similar effects on callose deposition and salicylic acid (SA) signaling. These results reveal an underlying difference between endogenous and exogenous ABA in regulating plant defense responses. Given that some plant pathogens are able to synthesize ABA and affect endogenous ABA levels in plants, our results highlight the importance of reactive oxygen species in the dual function of ABA during plant-pathogen interactions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Microbe Interaction 2019)

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28 pages, 6529 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bacterial Isolate Inhabiting Spitsbergen Soil Modifies the Physiological Response of Phaseolus coccineus in Control Conditions and under Exogenous Application of Methyl Jasmonate and Copper Excess

by Agnieszka Hanaka, Artur Nowak, Andrzej Plak, Sławomir Dresler, Ewa Ozimek, Jolanta Jaroszuk-Ściseł, Magdalena Wójciak-Kosior and Ireneusz Sowa

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(8), 1909; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms20081909 - 17 Apr 2019

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3123

Abstract

The aim of the study was to demonstrate the potential of the promotion and regulation of plant physiology and growth under control and copper stress conditions, and the impact of the exogenous application of methyl jasmonate on this potential. Runner bean plants were treated with methyl jasmonate (1 or 10 µM) (J; J1 or J10) and Cu (50 µM), and inoculated with a bacterial isolate (S17) originating from Spitsbergen soil, and identified as Pseudomonas luteola using the analytical profile index (API) test. Above- and under-ground plant parts were analyzed. The growth parameters; the concentration of the photosynthetic pigments, elements, flavonoids (FLAVO), phenolics (TPC), allantoin (ALLA), and low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs); the activity of antioxidant enzymes and enzymes of resistance induction pathways (e.g., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate (APX) and guaiacol (GPX) peroxidase, glucanase (GLU), and phenylalanine (PAL) and tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL)), and the antioxidant capacity (AC) were studied. The leaves exhibited substantially higher ALLA and LMWOA concentrations as well as PAL and TAL activities, whereas the roots mostly had higher activities for a majority of the enzymes tested (i.e., SOD, CAT, APX, GPX, and GLU). The inoculation with S17 mitigated the effect of the Cu stress. Under the Cu stress and in the presence of J10, isolate S17 caused an elevation of the shoot fresh weight, K concentration, and TAL activity in the leaves, and APX and GPX (also at J1) activities in the roots. In the absence of Cu, isolate S17 increased the root length and the shoot-to-root ratio, but without statistical significance. In these conditions, S17 contributed to a 236% and 34% enhancement of P and Mn, respectively, in the roots, and a 19% rise of N in the leaves. Under the Cu stress, S17 caused a significant increase in FLAVO and TPC in the leaves. Similarly, the levels of FLAVO, TPC, and AC were enhanced after inoculation with Cu and J1. Regardless of the presence of J, inoculation at Cu excess caused a reduction of SOD and CAT activities, and an elevation of GPX. The effects of inoculation were associated with the application of Cu and J, which modified plant response mainly in a concentration-dependent manner (e.g., PAL, TAL, and LMWOA levels). The conducted studies demonstrated the potential for isolate S17 in the promotion of plant growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Microbe Interaction 2019)

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17 pages, 3101 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Secreted Protein MoHrip1 Is Necessary for the Virulence of Magnaporthe oryzae

by Hai-Zhen Nie, Lin Zhang, Hui-Qian Zhuang, Wen-Jiong Shi, Xiu-Fen Yang, De-Wen Qiu and Hong-Mei Zeng

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(7), 1643; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms20071643 - 02 Apr 2019

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3988

Abstract

Secreted effectors from Magnaporthe oryzae play critical roles in the interaction with rice to facilitate fungal infection and disease development. M. oryzae-secreted protein MoHrip1 can improve plant defense as an elicitor in vitro, however, its biological function in fungal infection is not clear. In this study, we found that the expression of mohrip1 was significantly induced in the stages of fungal penetration and colonization. Although dispensable for the growth and conidiation, MoHrip1 was necessary for the full virulence of M. oryzae. Deletion of mohrip1 remarkably compromised fungal virulence on rice seedlings and even on rice leaves with wounds. Rice sheath inoculation assay further demonstrated the defects of mohrip1-deleted mutants on penetration and proliferation in rice cells. Additionally, compared with WT and complementation strain, the inoculation of mohrip1-deleted mutants induced a higher expression of specific defense related genes and a higher production of specific defensive compounds in rice leaves. These data collectively indicated that MoHrip1 is necessary for fungal penetration and invasive expansion, and further full virulence of rice blast fungus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Microbe Interaction 2019)

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23 pages, 2550 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Co-Amended Synergistic Interactions between Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and the Organic Substrate-Induced Cucumber Yield and Fruit Quality Associated with the Regulation of the AM-Fungal Community Structure under Anthropogenic Cultivated Soil

by Ahmad Ali, Muhammad Imran Ghani, Haiyan Ding, Yang Fan, Zhihui Cheng and Muhammad Iqbal

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(7), 1539; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms20071539 - 27 Mar 2019

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3842

Abstract

Monotonous cucumber double-cropping systems under plastic greenhouse vegetable cultivation (PGVC) previously intensified by long-term anthropogenic activities and manipulative treatments leads to a crop productivity reduction and soil biota disturbances. In this study, the role of the indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal strain (AM: Glomus versiforme L.) and organic substrate (GS: Garlic stalk) application were assessed for plant microbe interaction and crop productivity feedback in a greenhouse (2016–2018) under a cultivated Anthrosol characterized as a replanted degraded soil. We found that repetitively adding AM inocula with organic substrates (GS) improved the cucumber growth and physiology. The useful trait of AM symbiosis with C-amended organic substrates preferentially manifested as increased root colonization, hyphal density proliferation, AM sporulation, root activity, and suppressed Fusarium incidence. The post AM development further prevailed the synergistic interaction, and the co-inoculation effect resulted in an increase in fruit nutrition uptake, seasonal cucumber yield and fruit quality attributes. Illumina MiSeq analysis of the 18S rRNA gene amplicons revealed that the dominant AM genera that are particularly enriched with the Glomus taxon may be important ecological drivers associated with plant productivity and fruit quality characteristics. These results suggest that the AM-organic substrate association might be a pragmatic option for use as an economic and efficient biological resource and as a newly-sustainable plant microbe mediator to enhance the regional ecosystem services and plant productivity of the anthropogenic PGVC of this region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Microbe Interaction 2019)

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22 pages, 6629 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sweet Immunity: Inulin Boosts Resistance of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) against Grey Mold (Botrytis cinerea) in an Ethylene-Dependent Manner

by Łukasz Paweł Tarkowski, Bram Van de Poel, Monica Höfte and Wim Van den Ende

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(5), 1052; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms20051052 - 28 Feb 2019

Cited by 50 | Viewed by 5635

Abstract

The concept of “Sweet Immunity” postulates that sugar metabolism and signaling influence plant immune networks. In this study, we tested the potential of commercially available inulin-type fructans to limit disease symptoms caused by Botrytis cinerea in lettuce. Spraying mature lettuce leaves, with inulin-type fructans derived from burdock or chicory was as effective in reducing grey mold disease symptoms caused by Botrytis cinerea as spraying with oligogalacturonides (OGs). OGs are well-known defense elicitors in several plant species. Spraying with inulin and OGs induced accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and levels further increased upon pathogen infection. Inulin and OGs were no longer able to limit Botrytis infection when plants were treated with the ethylene signaling inhibitor 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), indicating that a functional ethylene signaling pathway is needed for the enhanced defense response. Soluble sugars accumulated in leaves primed with OGs, while 1-MCP treatment had an overall negative effect on the sucrose pool. Accumulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a stress-associated non-proteinogenic amino acid and possible signaling compound, was observed in inulin-treated samples after infection and negatively affected by the 1-MCP treatment. We have demonstrated for the first time that commercially available inulin-type fructans and OGs can improve the defensive capacity of lettuce, an economically important species. We discuss our results in the context of a possible recognition of fructans as Damage or Microbe Associated Molecular Patterns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Microbe Interaction 2019)

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12 pages, 3229 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of the VIGS System in the Dioecious Plant Silene latifolia

by Naoko Fujita, Yusuke Kazama, Noriko Yamagishi, Kyoko Watanabe, Saki Ando, Hiroyuki Tsuji, Shigeyuki Kawano, Nobuyuki Yoshikawa and Ken Komatsu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(5), 1031; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms20051031 - 27 Feb 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5444

Abstract

(1) Background: Silene latifolia is a dioecious plant, whose sex is determined by XY-type sex chromosomes. Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae is a smut fungus that infects S. latifolia plants and causes masculinization in female flowers, as if Microbotryum were acting as a sex-determining gene. Recent large-scale sequencing efforts have promised to provide candidate genes that are involved in the sex determination machinery in plants. These candidate genes are to be analyzed for functional characterization. A virus vector can be a tool for functional gene analyses; (2) Methods: To develop a viral vector system in S. latifolia plants, we selected Apple latent spherical virus (ALSV) as an appropriate virus vector that has a wide host range; (3) Results: Following the optimization of the ALSV inoculation method, S. latifolia plants were infected with ALSV at high rates in the upper leaves. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that ALSV can migrate into the flower meristems in S. latifolia plants. Successful VIGS (virus-induced gene silencing) in S. latifolia plants was demonstrated with knockdown of the phytoene desaturase gene. Finally, the developed method was applied to floral organ genes to evaluate its usability in flowers; (4) Conclusion: The developed system enables functional gene analyses in S. latifolia plants, which can unveil gene functions and networks of S. latifolia plants, such as the mechanisms of sex determination and fungal-induced masculinization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Microbe Interaction 2019)

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21 pages, 3039 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals New Insights into the Bacterial Wilt Resistance Mechanism Mediated by Silicon in Tomato

by Nihao Jiang, Xueying Fan, Weipeng Lin, Guoping Wang and Kunzheng Cai

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(3), 761; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms20030761 - 11 Feb 2019

Cited by 54 | Viewed by 6310

Abstract

Bacterial wilt is a devastating disease of tomato caused by soilborne pathogenic bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum. Previous studies found that silicon (Si) can increase tomato resistance against R. solanacearum, but the exact molecular mechanism remains unclear. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) technology was used to investigate the dynamic changes of root transcriptome profiles between Si-treated (+Si) and untreated (−Si) tomato plants at 1, 3, and 7 days post-inoculation with R. solanacearum. The contents of salicylic acid (SA), ethylene (ET), and jasmonic acid (JA) and the activity of defense-related enzymes in roots of tomato in different treatments were also determined. The burst of ET production in roots was delayed, and SA and JA contents were altered in Si treatment. The transcriptional response to R. solanacearum infection of the +Si plants was quicker than that of the untreated plants. The expression levels of differentially-expressed genes involved in pathogen-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity (PTI), oxidation resistance, and water-deficit stress tolerance were upregulated in the Si-treated plants. Multiple hormone-related genes were differentially expressed in the Si-treated plants. Si-mediated resistance involves mechanisms other than SA- and JA/ET-mediated stress responses. We propose that Si-mediated tomato resistance to R. solanacearum is associated with activated PTI-related responses and enhanced disease resistance and tolerance via several signaling pathways. Such pathways are mediated by multiple hormones (e.g., SA, JA, ET, and auxin), leading to diminished adverse effects (e.g., senescence, water-deficit, salinity and oxidative stress) normally caused by R. solanacearum infection. This finding will provide an important basis to further characterize the role of Si in enhancing plant resistance against biotic stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Microbe Interaction 2019)

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13 pages, 2374 KiB

Open AccessArticle

GhHB12, a HD-ZIP I Transcription Factor, Negatively Regulates the Cotton Resistance to Verticillium dahliae

by Xin He, Tianyi Wang, Wan Zhu, Yujing Wang and Longfu Zhu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(12), 3997; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms19123997 - 12 Dec 2018

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3819

Abstract

The homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-ZIP) is a plant-specific transcription factor family that plays important roles in plant developmental processes in response to multiple stressors. We previously isolated a cotton HD-ZIP class I transcription factor gene, GhHB12, which is regulated by the circadian clock and photoperiodism. Furthermore, it regulates cotton architecture, phase transition, and photoperiod sensitivity. Here we report that GhHB12 was induced by methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and Verticillium dahliae infection. Additionally, stress-responsive elements were found in the GhHB12 promoter. Promoter fusion analysis showed that GhHB12 was predominantly expressed in primary roots and that it was induced by mechanical damage. Overexpression of GhHB12 increased susceptibility of the cotton plant to the fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea and V. dahliae, which was coupled with suppression of the jasmonic acid (JA)-response genes GhJAZ2 and GhPR3. Our results suggest that GhHB12, a cotton stress-responsive HD-ZIP I transcription factor, negatively regulates cotton resistance to V. dahliae by suppressing JA-response genes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Microbe Interaction 2019)

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16 pages, 2621 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nitrogen Limitation Alters the Response of Specific Genes to Biotic Stress

by Mahsa Farjad, Martine Rigault, Stéphanie Pateyron, Marie-Laure Martin-Magniette, Anne Krapp, Christian Meyer and Mathilde Fagard

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(11), 3364; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms19113364 - 27 Oct 2018

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3900

Abstract

In their natural environment, plants are generally confronted with multiple co-occurring stresses. However, the interaction between stresses is not well known and transcriptomic data in response to combined stresses remain scarce. This study aims at characterizing the interaction between transcriptomic responses to biotic stress and nitrogen (N) limitation. Plants were grown in low or full N, infected or not with Erwinia amylovora (Ea) and plant gene expression was analyzed through microarray and qRT-PCR. Most Ea-responsive genes had the same profile (induced/repressed) in response to Ea in low and full N. In response to stress combination, one third of modulated transcripts responded in a manner that could not be deduced from their response to each individual stress. Many defense-related genes showed a prioritization of their response to biotic stress over their response to N limitation, which was also observed using Pseudomonas syringae as a second pathosystem. Our results indicate an interaction between transcriptomic responses to N and biotic stress. A small fraction of transcripts was prioritized between antagonistic responses, reflecting a preservation of the plant defense program under N limitation. Furthermore, this interaction also led to a complex and specific response in terms of metabolism and cellular homeostasis-associated genes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Microbe Interaction 2019)

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Review

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21 pages, 2038 KiB

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Mitochondrial Inheritance in Phytopathogenic Fungi—Everything Is Known, or Is It?

by Hector Mendoza, Michael H. Perlin and Jan Schirawski

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(11), 3883; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms21113883 - 29 May 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5777

Abstract

Mitochondria are important organelles in eukaryotes that provide energy for cellular processes. Their function is highly conserved and depends on the expression of nuclear encoded genes and genes encoded in the organellar genome. Mitochondrial DNA replication is independent of the replication control of nuclear DNA and as such, mitochondria may behave as selfish elements, so they need to be controlled, maintained and reliably inherited to progeny. Phytopathogenic fungi meet with special environmental challenges within the plant host that might depend on and influence mitochondrial functions and services. We find that this topic is basically unexplored in the literature, so this review largely depends on work published in other systems. In trying to answer elemental questions on mitochondrial functioning, we aim to introduce the aspect of mitochondrial functions and services to the study of plant-microbe-interactions and stimulate phytopathologists to consider research on this important organelle in their future projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Microbe Interaction 2019)

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