Sporisorium reilianum infection changes inflorescence and branching architectures of maize

Inherited phenotype instability of inflorescence and floral organ development in homeotic barley double mutants and its specific modification by auxin inhibitors and 2,4-D

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) double mutants Hv-Hd/tw2, formed by hybridization, are characterized by inherited phenotypic instability and by several new features, such as bract/leaf-like structures, long naked gaps in the spike, and a wide spectrum of variations in the basic and ectopic flowers, which are absent in single mutants. Several of these features resemble those of mutations in auxin distribution, and thus the aim of this study was to determine whether auxin imbalances are related to phenotypic variations and instability. The effects of auxin inhibitors and 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) on variation in basic and ectopic flowers were therefore examined, together with the effects of 2,4-D on spike structure.

METHODS

The character of phenotypic instability and the effects of auxin inhibitors and 2,4-D were compared in callus cultures and intact plants of single homeotic Hv-tw2 and Hv-Hooded/Kap (in the BKn3 gene) mutants and alternative double mutant lines: offspring from individual plants in distal hybrid generations (F9-F10) that all had the same BKn3 allele as determined by DNA sequencing. For intact plants, two auxin inhibitors, 9-hydroxyfluorene-9-carboxylic acid (HFCA) and p-chlorophenoxyisobutyric acid (PCIB), were used.

KEY RESULTS

Callus growth and flower/spike structures of the Hv-tw2 mutant differed in their responses to HFCA and PCIB. An increase in normal basic flowers after exposure to auxin inhibitors and a decrease in their frequencies caused by 2,4-D were observed, and there were also modifications in the spectra of ectopic flowers, especially those with sexual organs, but the effects depended on the genotype. Exposure to 2,4-D decreased the frequency of short gaps and lodicule transformations in Hv-tw2 and of long naked gaps in double mutants.

CONCLUSIONS

The effects of auxin inhibitors and 2,4-D suggest that ectopic auxin maxima or deficiencies arise in various regions of the inflorescence/flower primordia. Based on the phenotypic instability observed, definite trends in the development of ectopic flower structures may be detected, from insignificant outgrowths on awns to flowers with sterile organs. Phenotypically unstable barley double mutants provide a highly promising genetic system for the investigation of gene expression modules and trend orders.

A maize wall-associated kinase confers quantitative resistance to head smut

Head smut is a systemic disease in maize caused by the soil-borne fungus Sporisorium reilianum that poses a grave threat to maize production worldwide. A major head smut quantitative resistance locus, qHSR1, has been detected on maize chromosome bin2.09. Here we report the map-based cloning of qHSR1 and the molecular mechanism of qHSR1-mediated resistance. Sequential fine mapping and transgenic complementation demonstrated that ZmWAK is the gene within qHSR1 conferring quantitative resistance to maize head smut. ZmWAK spans the plasma membrane, potentially serving as a receptor-like kinase to perceive and transduce extracellular signals. ZmWAK was highly expressed in the mesocotyl of seedlings where it arrested biotrophic growth of the endophytic S. reilianum. Impaired expression in the mesocotyl compromised ZmWAK-mediated resistance. Deletion of the ZmWAK locus appears to have occurred after domestication and spread among maize germplasm, and the ZmWAK kinase domain underwent functional constraints during maize evolution.

Indole-3-acetic acid-producing yeasts in the phyllosphere of the carnivorous plant Drosera indica L

Yeasts are widely distributed in nature and exist in association with other microorganisms as normal inhabitants of soil, vegetation, and aqueous environments. In this study, 12 yeast strains were enriched and isolated from leaf samples of the carnivorous plant Drosera indica L., which is currently threatened because of restricted habitats and use in herbal industries. According to similarities in large subunit and small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences, we identified 2 yeast species in 2 genera of the phylum Ascomycota, and 5 yeast species in 5 genera of the phylum Basidiomycota. All of the isolated yeasts produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) when cultivated in YPD broth supplemented with 0.1% L-tryptophan. Growth conditions, such as the pH and temperature of the medium, influenced yeast IAA production. Our results also suggested the existence of a tryptophan-independent IAA biosynthetic pathway. We evaluated the effects of various concentrations of exogenous IAA on yeast growth and observed that IAA produced by wild yeasts modifies auxin-inducible gene expression in Arabidopsis. Our data suggest that yeasts can promote plant growth and support ongoing prospecting of yeast strains for inclusion into biofertilizer for sustainable agriculture.

Pistil Smut Infection Increases Ovary Production, Seed Yield Components, and Pseudosexual Reproductive Allocation in Buffalograss

Sex expression of dioecious buffalograss [Bouteloua dactyloides Columbus (syn. Buchloë dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.)] is known to be environmentally stable with approximate 1:1, male to female, sex ratios. Here we show that infection by the pistil smut fungus [Salmacisiabuchloëana Huff & Chandra (syn. Tilletia buchloëana Kellerman and Swingle)] shifts sex ratios of buffalograss to be nearly 100% phenotypically hermaphroditic. In addition, pistil smut infection decreased vegetative reproductive allocation, increased most seed yield components, and increased pseudosexual reproductive allocation in both sex forms compared to uninfected clones. In female sex forms, pistil smut infection resulted in a 26 fold increase in ovary production and a 35 fold increase in potential harvest index. In male sex forms, pistil smut infection resulted in 2.37 fold increase in floret number and over 95% of these florets contained a well-developed pistil. Although all ovaries of infected plants are filled with fungal teliospores and hence reproductively sterile, an average male-female pair of infected plants exhibited an 87 fold increase in potential harvest index compared to their uninfected clones. Acquiring an ability to mimic the effects of pistil smut infection would enhance our understanding of the flowering process in grasses and our efforts to increase seed yield of buffalograss and perhaps other grasses.

Prospecting the biodiversity of the fungal family Ustilaginaceae for the production of value-added chemicals

BACKGROUND

Ustilaginaceae (belonging to the smut fungi) are commonly known for their plant pathogenicity. Although these microbes lead to yield reduction of cereal production, they can also have an economically positive side. Ustilaginaceae naturally produce a versatile range of value-added chemicals with potential applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industry.

RESULTS

In this study 68 Ustilaginaceae of 13 species were screened for the production of organic acids, polyols, and glycolipids from glucose to characterize their biodiversity and identify potential novel strains for biocatalysis of these valuable chemicals. Ustilago cynodontis, Ustilago maydis, Ustilago avenae, and Sporisorium exsertum were identified as promising production organisms for itaconate, malate, succinate, and erythritol, respectively. The influence of buffer concentration (pH) on acid production was investigated. Selected strains with best itaconate and malate production were characterized in more detail in bioreactor experiments obtaining total acid concentrations of up to 47 ± 1 g L-1.

CONCLUSION

The identification and detailed characterization of these producers of valuable chemicals highlights the potential of these unicellular smut fungi for industrial applications and is a further step towards the biotechnological utilization of Ustilaginaceae.

An immunity-triggering effector from the Barley smut fungus Ustilago hordei resides in an Ustilaginaceae-specific cluster bearing signs of transposable element-assisted evolution

The basidiomycete smut fungus Ustilago hordei was previously shown to comprise isolates that are avirulent on various barley host cultivars. Through genetic crosses we had revealed that a dominant avirulence locus UhAvr1 which triggers immunity in barley cultivar Hannchen harboring resistance gene Ruh1, resided within an 80-kb region. DNA sequence analysis of this genetically delimited region uncovered the presence of 7 candidate secreted effector proteins. Sequence comparison of their coding sequences among virulent and avirulent parental and field isolates could not distinguish UhAvr1 candidates. Systematic deletion and complementation analyses revealed that UhAvr1 is UHOR_10022 which codes for a small effector protein of 171 amino acids with a predicted 19 amino acid signal peptide. Virulence in the parental isolate is caused by the insertion of a fragment of 5.5 kb with similarity to a common U. hordei transposable element (TE), interrupting the promoter of UhAvr1 and thereby changing expression and hence recognition of UhAVR1p. This rearrangement is likely caused by activities of TEs and variation is seen among isolates. Using GFP-chimeric constructs we show that UhAvr1 is induced only in mated dikaryotic hyphae upon sensing and infecting barley coleoptile cells. When infecting Hannchen, UhAVR1p causes local callose deposition and the production of reactive oxygen species and necrosis indicative of the immune response. UhAvr1 does not contribute significantly to overall virulence. UhAvr1 is located in a cluster of ten effectors with several paralogs and over 50% of TEs. This cluster is syntenous with clusters in closely-related U. maydis and Sporisorium reilianum. In these corn-infecting species, these clusters harbor however more and further diversified homologous effector families but very few TEs. This increased variability may have resulted from past selection pressure by resistance genes since U. maydis is not known to trigger immunity in its corn host.

Red card for pathogens: phytoalexins in sorghum and maize

Cereal crop plants such as maize and sorghum are constantly being attacked by a great variety of pathogens that cause large economic losses. Plants protect themselves against pathogens by synthesizing antimicrobial compounds, which include phytoalexins. In this review we summarize the current knowledge on phytoalexins produced by sorghum (luteolinidin, apigeninidin) and maize (zealexin, kauralexin, DIMBOA and HDMBOA). For these molecules, we highlight biosynthetic pathways, known intermediates, proposed enzymes, and mechanisms of elicitation. Finally, we discuss the involvement of phytoalexins in plant resistance and their possible application in technology, medicine and agriculture. For those whose world is round we tried to set the scene in the context of a hypothetical football game in which pathogens fight with phytoalexins on the different playing fields provided by maize and sorghum.

X1-homologous genes family as central components in biotic and abiotic stresses response in maize (Zea mays L.)

X1-homologous genes (XHS) encode plant specific proteins containing three basic domains (XH, XS, zf-XS). In spite of their physiological importance, systematic analyses of ZmXHS genes have not yet been explored. In this study, we isolated and characterized ten ZmXHS genes in a whole-of-genome analysis of the maize genome. A total of ten members of this family were identified in maize genome. The ten ZmXHS genes were distributed on seven maize chromosomes. Multiple alignment and motif display results revealed that most ZmXHS proteins share all the three conserved domains. Putative cis-elements involved in abiotic stress responsive, phytohormone, pollen-specific and quantitative, seed development and germination, light and circadian rhythms regulation, Ca(2+)-responsive, root hair cell-specific, and CO(2)-responsive transcriptional activation were observed in the promoters of ZmXHS genes. Yeast hybrid assay revealed that the XH domain of ZmXHS5 was necessary for interaction with itself and ZmXHS2. Microarray data showed that the ZmXHS genes had tissue-specific expression patterns in the maize developmental steps and biotic stresses response. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis results indicated that, except ZmXHS9, the other nine ZmXHS genes were induced in the seedling leaves by at least one of the four abiotic stresses applied.

Biochemical study of the extracellular aspartyl protease Eap1 from the phytopathogen fungus Sporisorium reilianum

In this work, the extracellular protease Eap1 from Sporisorium reilianum was characterized in solid and liquid cultures using different culture media. The results showed that Eap1 was produced in all media and under all culture conditions, with the most activity in solid culture at an acidic pH of 3-5. Following purification, the 41 kDa protease demonstrated aspartyl protease activity. The enzyme was stable at a wide range of temperatures and pH values, but 45°C and pH 3 were optimal. The K(m) and V(max( values obtained were 0.69 mg/mL and 0.66 μmol/min, respectively, with albumin as the substrate. Eap1 degraded hemoglobin as well as proteins obtained from corn germ, roots, stems and slides at pH 3 and also had milk-clotting activity. Sequencing analysis showed that this protein has 100% similarity to the peptide sequence theoretically obtained from the sr11394 gene, which encodes an aspartyl protease secreted by S. reilianum.

Floral transition in maize infected with Sporisorium reilianum disrupts compatibility with this biotrophic fungal pathogen

Sporisorium reilianum f. sp. zeae is an important biotrophic pathogen that causes head smut disease in maize. Head smut is not obvious until the tassels and ears emerge. S. reilianum has a very long life cycle that spans almost the entire developmental program of maize after the pathogen successfully invades the root. The aim of this study was to understand at a molecular level how this pathogen interacts with the host during its long life cycle, and how this interaction differs between susceptible and resistant varieties of maize after hyphal invasion. We investigated transcriptional changes in the resistant maize line Mo17 at four developmental stages using a maize 70mer-oligonucleotide microarray. We found that there was a lengthy compatible relationship between the pathogen and host until the early eighth-leaf stage. The resistance in Mo17 relied on the assignment of auxin and regulation of flavonoids in the early floral primordium during the early floral transition stage. We propose a model describing the putative mechanism of head smut resistance in Mo17 during floral transition. In the model, the synergistic regulations among auxin, flavonoids, and hyphal growth play a key role in maintaining compatibility with S. reilianum in the resistant maize line.

Host specificity of Sporisorium reilianum is tightly linked to generation of the phytoalexin luteolinidin by Sorghum bicolor

The smut fungus Sporisorium reilianum occurs in two varieties (S. reilianum f. sp. reilianum and S. reilianum f. sp. zeae) that cause head smut disease on sorghum and maize, respectively. Prior to plant infection, compatible haploid sporidia of S. reilianum fuse to form infectious dikaryotic hyphae that penetrate the leaf surface, spread throughout the plant, and reach the inflorescences, in which spore formation occurs. To elucidate the basis of host specificity of the two S. reilianum varieties, we compared disease etiology of S. reilianum f. sp. reilianum and S. reilianum f. sp. zeae on sorghum and maize. Both varieties could penetrate and multiply in both hosts. However, red spots appeared on inoculated leaves after sorghum infection with S. reilianum f. sp. zeae. Using matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time of flight analysis of leaf extracts, we show that sorghum reacts with the production of the red and orange phytoalexins luteolinidin and apigeninidin upon colonization by S. reilianum f. sp. zeae but not by S. reilianum f. sp. reilianum. Using in vitro growth assays, we demonstrate that luteolinidin but not apigeninidin slows vegetative growth of both S. reilianum f. sp. zeae and S. reilianum f. sp. reilianum. However, the phytoalexin biosynthesis gene SbDFR3 is only induced in sorghum after infection with S. reilianum f. sp. zeae, as shown by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. This suggests that regulation of luteolinidin biosynthesis determines infection success of S. reilianum on sorghum.