Roles of salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene in cpr-induced resistance in arabidopsis

Investigation of intercellular salicylic acid accumulation during compatible and incompatible Arabidopsis-pseudomonas syringae interactions using a fast neutron-generated mutant allele of EDS5 identified by genetic mapping and whole-genome sequencing

A whole-genome sequencing technique developed to identify fast neutron-induced deletion mutations revealed that iap1-1 is a new allele of EDS5 (eds5-5). RPS2-AvrRpt2-initiated effector-triggered immunity (ETI) was compromised in iap1-1/eds5-5 with respect to in planta bacterial levels and the hypersensitive response, while intra- and intercellular free salicylic acid (SA) accumulation was greatly reduced, suggesting that SA contributes as both an intracellular signaling molecule and an antimicrobial agent in the intercellular space during ETI. During the compatible interaction between wild-type Col-0 and virulent Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst), little intercellular free SA accumulated, which led to the hypothesis that Pst suppresses intercellular SA accumulation. When Col-0 was inoculated with a coronatine-deficient strain of Pst, high levels of intercellular SA accumulation were observed, suggesting that Pst suppresses intercellular SA accumulation using its phytotoxin coronatine. This work suggests that accumulation of SA in the intercellular space is an important component of basal/PAMP-triggered immunity as well as ETI to pathogens that colonize the intercellular space.

Arabidopsis poly(A) polymerase PAPS1 limits founder-cell recruitment to organ primordia and suppresses the salicylic acid-independent immune response downstream of EDS1/PAD4

Polyadenylation of pre-mRNAs by poly(A) polymerase (PAPS) is a critical process in eukaryotic gene expression. As found in vertebrates, plant genomes encode several isoforms of canonical nuclear PAPS enzymes. In Arabidopsis thaliana these isoforms are functionally specialized, with PAPS1 affecting both organ growth and immune response, at least in part by the preferential polyadenylation of subsets of pre-mRNAs. Here, we demonstrate that the opposite effects of PAPS1 on leaf and flower growth reflect the different identities of these organs, and identify a role for PAPS1 in the elusive connection between organ identity and growth patterns. The overgrowth of paps1 mutant petals is due to increased recruitment of founder cells into early organ primordia, and suggests that PAPS1 activity plays unique roles in influencing organ growth. By contrast, the leaf phenotype of paps1 mutants is dominated by a constitutive immune response that leads to increased resistance to the biotrophic oomycete Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis and reflects activation of the salicylic acid-independent signalling pathway downstream of ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY1 (EDS1)/PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT4 (PAD4). These findings provide an insight into the developmental and physiological basis of the functional specialization amongst plant PAPS isoforms.

Membrane-associated proteomics of chickpea identifies Sad1/UNC-84 protein (CaSUN1), a novel component of dehydration signaling

Dehydration affects almost all the physiological processes including those that result in the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which in turn elicits a highly conserved signaling, the unfolded protein response (UPR). We investigated the dehydration-responsive membrane-associated proteome of a legume, chickpea, by 2-DE coupled with mass spectrometry. A total of 184 protein spots were significantly altered over a dehydration treatment of 120 h. Among the differentially expressed proteins, a non-canonical SUN domain protein, designated CaSUN1 (Cicer arietinum Sad1/UNC-84), was identified. CaSUN1 localized to the nuclear membrane and ER, besides small vacuolar vesicles. The transcripts were downregulated by both abiotic and biotic stresses, but not by abscisic acid treatment. Overexpression of CaSUN1 conferred stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. Furthermore, functional complementation of the yeast mutant, slp1, could rescue its growth defects. We propose that the function of CaSUN1 in stress response might be regulated via UPR signaling.

Arabidopsis GOLDEN2-LIKE (GLK) transcription factors activate jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent disease susceptibility to the biotrophic pathogen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis, as well as JA-independent plant immunity against the necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea

Arabidopsis thaliana GOLDEN2-LIKE (GLK1 and 2) transcription factors regulate chloroplast development in a redundant manner. Overexpression of AtGLK1 (35S:AtGLK1) in Arabidopsis also confers resistance to the cereal pathogen Fusarium graminearum. To further elucidate the role of GLK transcription factors in plant defence, the Arabidopsis glk1 glk2 double-mutant and 35S:AtGLK1 plants were challenged with the virulent oomycete pathogen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis (Hpa) Noco2. Compared with Col-0, glk1 glk2 plants were highly resistant to Hpa Noco2, whereas 35S:AtGLK1 plants showed enhanced susceptibility to this pathogen. Genetic studies suggested that AtGLK-mediated plant defence to Hpa Noco2 was partially dependent on salicylic acid (SA) accumulation, but independent of the SA signalling protein NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED 1 (NPR1). Pretreatment with jasmonic acid (JA) dramatically reversed Hpa Noco2 resistance in the glk1 glk2 double mutant, but only marginally affected the 35S:AtGLK1 plants. In addition, overexpression of AtGLK1 in the JA signalling mutant coi1-16 did not increase susceptibility to Hpa Noco2. Together, our GLK gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments suggest that GLK acts upstream of JA signalling in disease susceptibility to Hpa Noco2. In contrast, glk1 glk2 plants were more susceptible to the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea, whereas 35S:AtGLK1 plants exhibited heightened resistance which could be maintained in the absence of JA signalling. Together, the data reveal that AtGLK1 is involved in JA-dependent susceptibility to the biotrophic pathogen Hpa Noco2 and in JA-independent resistance to the necrotrophic pathogen B. cinerea.

Endoplasmic reticulum KDEL-tailed cysteine endopeptidase 1 of Arabidopsis (AtCEP1) is involved in pathogen defense

Programmed cell death (PCD) is a genetically determined process in all multicellular organisms. Plant PCD is effected by a unique group of papain-type cysteine endopeptidases (CysEP) with a C-terminal KDEL endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention signal (KDEL CysEP). KDEL CysEPs can be stored as pro-enzymes in ER-derived endomembrane compartments and are released as mature CysEPs in the final stages of organelle disintegration. KDEL CysEPs accept a wide variety of amino acids at the active site, including the glycosylated hydroxyprolines of the extensins that form the basic scaffold of the cell wall. In Arabidopsis, three KDEL CysEPs (AtCEP1, AtCEP2, and AtCEP3) are expressed. Cell- and tissue-specific activities of these three genes suggest that KDEL CysEPs participate in the abscission of flower organs and in the collapse of tissues in the final stage of PCD as well as in developmental tissue remodeling. We observed that AtCEP1 is expressed in response to biotic stress stimuli in the leaf. atcep1 knockout mutants showed enhanced susceptibility to powdery mildew caused by the biotrophic ascomycete Erysiphe cruciferarum. A translational fusion protein of AtCEP1 with a three-fold hemaglutinin-tag and the green fluorescent protein under control of the endogenous AtCEP1 promoter (PCEP1::pre-pro-3xHA-EGFP-AtCEP1-KDEL) rescued the pathogenesis phenotype demonstrating the function of AtCEP1 in restriction of powdery mildew. The spatiotemporal AtCEP1-reporter expression during fungal infection together with microscopic inspection of the interaction phenotype suggested a function of AtCEP1 in controlling late stages of compatible interaction including late epidermal cell death. Additionally, expression of stress response genes appeared to be deregulated in the interaction of atcep1 mutants and E. cruciferarum. Possible functions of AtCEP1 in restricting parasitic success of the obligate biotrophic powdery mildew fungus are discussed.

Making sense of hormone-mediated defense networking: from rice to Arabidopsis

Phytohormones are not only essential for plant growth and development but also play central roles in triggering the plant immune signaling network. Historically, research aimed at elucidating the defense-associated role of hormones has tended to focus on the use of experimentally tractable dicot plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana. Emerging from these studies is a picture whereby complex crosstalk and induced hormonal changes mold plant health and disease, with outcomes largely dependent on the lifestyle and infection strategy of invading pathogens. However, recent studies in monocot plants are starting to provide additional important insights into the immune-regulatory roles of hormones, often revealing unique complexities. In this review, we address the latest discoveries dealing with hormone-mediated immunity in rice, one of the most important food crops and an excellent model for molecular genetic studies in monocots. Moreover, we highlight interactions between hormone signaling, rice defense and pathogen virulence, and discuss the differences and similarities with findings in Arabidopsis. Finally, we present a model for hormone defense networking in rice and describe how detailed knowledge of hormone crosstalk mechanisms can be used for engineering durable rice disease resistance.

Development of disease-resistant rice using regulatory components of induced disease resistance

Infectious diseases cause huge crop losses annually. In response to pathogen attacks, plants activate defense systems that are mediated through various signaling pathways. The salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathway is the most powerful of these pathways. Several regulatory components of the SA signaling pathway have been identified, and are potential targets for genetic manipulation of plants' disease resistance. However, the resistance associated with these regulatory components is often accompanied by fitness costs; that is, negative effects on plant growth and crop yield. Chemical defense inducers, such as benzothiadiazole and probenazole, act on the SA pathway and induce strong resistance to various pathogens without major fitness costs, owing to their 'priming effect.' Studies on how benzothiadiazole induces disease resistance in rice have identified WRKY45, a key transcription factor in the branched SA pathway, and OsNPR1/NH1. Rice plants overexpressing WRKY45 were extremely resistant to rice blast disease caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae and bacterial leaf blight disease caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), the two major rice diseases. Disease resistance is often accompanied by fitness costs; however, WRKY45 overexpression imposed relatively small fitness costs on rice because of its priming effect. This priming effect was similar to that of chemical defense inducers, although the fitness costs were amplified by some environmental factors. WRKY45 is degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and the dual role of this degradation partly explains the priming effect. The synergistic interaction between SA and cytokinin signaling that activates WRKY45 also likely contributes to the priming effect. With a main focus on these studies, I review the current knowledge of SA-pathway-dependent defense in rice by comparing it with that in Arabidopsis, and discuss potential strategies to develop disease-resistant rice using signaling components.

A large-scale genetic screen for mutants with altered salicylic acid accumulation in Arabidopsis

Salicylic acid (SA) is a key defense signal molecule against biotrophic and hemibiotrophic pathogens in plants, but how SA is synthesized in plant cells still remains elusive. Identification of new components involved in pathogen-induced SA accumulation would help address this question. To this end, we performed a large-scale genetic screen for mutants with altered SA accumulation during pathogen infection in Arabidopsis using a bacterial biosensor Acinetobacter sp. ADPWH_lux-based SA quantification method. A total of 35,000 M2 plants in the npr1-3 mutant background have been individually analyzed for the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola (Psm) ES4326-induced SA accumulation. Among the mutants isolated, 19 had SA levels lower than npr1 (sln) and two exhibited increased SA accumulation in npr1 (isn). Complementation tests revealed that seven of the sln mutants are new alleles of eds5/sid1, two are sid2/eds16 alleles, one is allelic to pad4, and the remaining seven sln and two isn mutants are new non-allelic SA accumulation mutants. Interestingly, a large group of mutants (in the npr1-3 background), in which Psm ES4326-induced SA levels were similar to those in the wild-type Columbia plants, were identified, suggesting that the signaling network fine-tuning pathogen-induced SA accumulation is complex. We further characterized the sln1 single mutant and found that Psm ES4326-induced defense responses were compromised in this mutant. These defense response defects could be rescued by exogenous SA, suggesting that SLN1 functions upstream of SA. The sln1 mutation was mapped to a region on the north arm of chromosome I, which contains no known genes regulating pathogen-induced SA accumulation, indicating that SLN1 likely encodes a new regulator of SA biosynthesis. Thus, the new sln and isn mutants identified in this genetic screen are valuable for dissecting the molecular mechanisms underlying pathogen-induced SA accumulation in plants.

Conserved versatile master regulators in signalling pathways in response to stress in plants

From the first land plants to the complex gymnosperms and angiosperms of today, environmental conditions have forced plants to develop molecular strategies to surpass natural obstacles to growth and proliferation, and these genetic gains have been transmitted to the following generations. In this long natural process, novel and elaborate mechanisms have evolved to enable plants to cope with environmental limitations. Elements in many signalling cascades enable plants to sense different, multiple and simultaneous ambient cues. A group of versatile master regulators of gene expression control plant responses to stressing conditions. For crop breeding purposes, the task is to determine how to activate these key regulators to enable accurate and optimal reactions to common stresses. In this review, we discuss how plants sense biotic and abiotic stresses, how and which master regulators are implied in the responses to these stresses, their evolution in the life kingdoms, and the domains in these proteins that interact with other factors to lead to a proper and efficient plant response.

Response of tobacco to the Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tomato DC3000 is mainly dependent on salicylic acid signaling pathway

Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000) was the first pathogen to be demonstrated to infect Arabidopsis and to cause disease symptoms in the laboratory setting. However, the defense response to Pst DC3000 was unclear in tobacco. In this report, the expression profiles of twelve defense response-related genes were analyzed after treatment with salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and pathogen Pst DC3000 by qRT-PCR. According to our results, it could be presented that the genes primarily induced by SA were also induced to higher levels after Pst DC3000 infection. SA accumulation could be induced to a higher level than that of JA after Pst DC3000 infection. In addition, SA could result in hypersensitive response (HR), which did not completely depend on accumulation of reactive oxygen species. These results indicated that tobacco mainly depended on SA signaling pathway rather than on JA signaling pathway in response to Pst DC3000. Further study demonstrated that JA could significantly inhibit the accumulation of SA and the generation of the HR induced by Pst DC3000.

Signaling cross-talk in plant disease resistance

Hormone signaling crosstalk plays a major role in plant defense against a wide range of both biotic and abiotic stresses. While many reviews on plant-microbe interactions have well described the general trends of signaling pathways in shaping host responses to pathogens, few discussions have considered a synthesis of positive versus negative interactions among such pathways, or variations in the signaling molecules themselves. This review deals with the interaction trends between salicylic, jasmonic, and abscisic acids in the signaling pathways, as well as exceptions to such trends. Here we focused on antagonistic versus cooperative interactions between salicylic and jasmonic acids, two major disease resistance signaling molecules, and some interactions with abscisic acid, a known abiotic stress hormone, and another player in plant defense mechanisms. We provide a set of examples materializing either antagonism or cooperation for each interaction between two pathways, thereby showing the trends and pinpointing the exceptions. Such analyses are practical for researchers working on the subject and essential for a better exploitation of the data already available in plant disease resistance signaling, both in Arabidopsis and crop species, toward the development of better disease management strategies for economically important crops.

Transcriptome analysis of symptomatic and recovered leaves of geminivirus-infected pepper (Capsicum annuum)

BACKGROUND

Geminiviruses are a large and important family of plant viruses that infect a wide range of crops throughout the world. The Begomovirus genus contains species that are transmitted by whiteflies and are distributed worldwide causing disease on an array of horticultural crops. Symptom remission, in which newly developed leaves of systemically infected plants exhibit a reduction in symptom severity (recovery), has been observed on pepper (Capsicum annuum) plants infected with Pepper golden mosaic virus (PepGMV). Previous studies have shown that transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene silencing mechanisms are involved in the reduction of viral nucleic acid concentration in recovered tissue. In this study, we employed deep transcriptome sequencing methods to assess transcriptional variation in healthy (mock), symptomatic, and recovered pepper leaves following PepGMV infection.

RESULTS

Differential expression analyses of the pepper leaf transcriptome from symptomatic and recovered stages revealed a total of 309 differentially expressed genes between healthy (mock) and symptomatic or recovered tissues. Computational prediction of differential expression was validated using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR confirming the robustness of our bioinformatic methods. Within the set of differentially expressed genes associated with the recovery process were genes involved in defense responses including pathogenesis-related proteins, reactive oxygen species, systemic acquired resistance, jasmonic acid biosynthesis, and ethylene signaling. No major differences were found when compared the differentially expressed genes in symptomatic and recovered tissues. On the other hand, a set of genes with novel roles in defense responses was identified including genes involved in histone modification. This latter result suggested that post-transcriptional and transcriptional gene silencing may be one of the major mechanisms involved in the recovery process. Genes orthologous to the C. annuum proteins involved in the pepper-PepGMV recovery response were identified in both Solanum lycopersicum and Solanum tuberosum suggesting conservation of components of the viral recovery response in the Solanaceae.

CONCLUSION

These data provide a valuable source of information for improving our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms by which pepper leaves become symptomless following infection with geminiviruses. The identification of orthologs for the majority of genes differentially expressed in recovered tissues in two major solanaceous crop species provides the basis for future comparative analyses of the viral recovery process across related taxa.

Cauliflower mosaic virus protein P6 inhibits signaling responses to salicylic acid and regulates innate immunity

Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) encodes a multifunctional protein P6 that is required for translation of the 35S RNA and also acts as a suppressor of RNA silencing. Here we demonstrate that P6 additionally acts as a pathogenicity effector of an unique and novel type, modifying NPR1 (a key regulator of salicylic acid (SA)- and jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent signaling) and inhibiting SA-dependent defence responses We find that that transgene-mediated expression of P6 in Arabidopsis and transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana has profound effects on defence signaling, suppressing expression of representative SA-responsive genes and increasing expression of representative JA-responsive genes. Relative to wild-type Arabidopsis P6-expressing transgenics had greatly reduced expression of PR-1 following SA-treatment, infection by CaMV or inoculation with an avirulent bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato (Pst). Similarly transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana of P6 (including a mutant form defective in translational transactivation activity) suppressed PR-1a transcript accumulation in response to Agrobacterium infiltration and following SA-treatment. As well as suppressing the expression of representative SA-regulated genes, P6-transgenic Arabidopsis showed greatly enhanced susceptibility to both virulent and avirulent Pst (titres elevated 10 to 30-fold compared to non-transgenic controls) but reduced susceptibility to the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Necrosis following SA-treatment or inoculation with avirulent Pst was reduced and delayed in P6-transgenics. NPR1 an important regulator of SA/JA crosstalk, was more highly expressed in the presence of P6 and introduction of the P6 transgene into a transgenic line expressing an NPR1:GFP fusion resulted in greatly increased fluorescence in nuclei even in the absence of SA. Thus in the presence of P6 an inactive form of NPR1 is mislocalized in the nucleus even in uninduced plants. These results demonstrate that P6 is a new type of pathogenicity effector protein that enhances susceptibility to biotrophic pathogens by suppressing SA- but enhancing JA-signaling responses.

Phospholipase signaling is modified differentially by phytoregulators in Capsicum chinense J. cells

Plant defense mechanisms respond to diverse environmental factors and play key roles in signaling pathways. The phospholipidic signaling pathway forms part of the plant response to several phytoregulators, such as salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MJ), which have been widely used to stimulate secondary metabolite production in cell cultures. ( 1) Furthermore, it has been reported that the levels of such phytoregulators as SA and MJ can increase in response to stressful conditions. ( 2) (,) ( 3) The phospholipidic signal transduction system involves the generation of second messengers by the hydrolysis of phospholipids. In this study, we examined how phospholipidic signaling can be modulated depending on the growth stage of the culture, and we focused on two key lipases having relevant roles in the signaling cascades in plants. An evaluation was made of the effects of SA and MJ on the phospholipase activities in Capsicum chinense Jacq. suspension cells at different phases of the culture cycle. The treatment with SA differentially modified the phospholipase C (PLC) (EC: 3.1.4.3) and phospholipase D (PLD) (EC: 3.1.4.4) activities in a dose-dependent manner that also depended on the day of the culture cycle. In contrast, the treatment with MJ resulted in a biphasic behavior of the PLC and PLD activities. We conclude that the enzymatic activities in the phospholipidic signaling pathways are modified differentially depending on the day of the culture's growth cycle; accordingly, the response capacity to such environmental factors as phytoregulators is variable at different stages of growth and the physiology of the cells.

Haemoglobin modulates salicylate and jasmonate/ethylene-mediated resistance mechanisms against pathogens

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a role in defence against hemibiotrophic pathogens mediated by salicylate (SA) and also necrotrophic pathogens influenced by jasmonate/ethylene (JA/Et). This study examined how NO-oxidizing haemoglobins (Hb) encoded by GLB1, GLB2, and GLB3 in Arabidopsis could influence both defence pathways. The impact of Hb on responses to the hemibiotrophic Pseudomonas syringae pathovar tomato (Pst) AvrRpm1 and the necrotrophic Botrytis cinerea were investigated using glb1, glb2, and glb3 mutant lines and also CaMV 35S GLB1 and GLB2 overexpression lines. In glb1, but not glb2 and glb3, increased resistance was observed to both pathogens but was compromised in the 35S-GLB1. A quantum cascade laser-based sensor measured elevated NO production in glb1 infected with Pst AvrRpm1 and B. cinerea, which was reduced in 35S-GLB1 compared to Col-0. SA accumulation was increased in glb1 and reduced in 35S-GLB1 compared to controls following attack by Pst AvrRpm1. Similarly, JA and Et levels were increased in glb1 but decreased in 35S-GLB1 in response to attack by B. cinerea. Quantitative PCR assays indicated reduced GLB1 expression during challenge with either pathogen, thus this may elevate NO concentration and promote a wide-ranging defence against pathogens.

Overexpression of CaTLP1, a putative transcription factor in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), promotes stress tolerance

Dehydration is the most crucial environmental constraint on plant growth and development, and agricultural productivity. To understand the underlying mechanism of stress tolerance, and to identify proteins for improving such important trait, we screened the dehydration-responsive proteome of chickpea and identified a tubby-like protein, referred to as CaTLP1. The CaTLP1 was found to predominantly bind to double-stranded DNA but incapable of transcriptional activation. We investigated the gene structure and organization and demonstrated, for the first time, that CaTLP1 may be involved in osmotic stress response in plants. The transcripts are strongly expressed in vegetative tissues but weakly in reproductive tissues. CaTLP1 is upregulated by dehydration and high salinity, and by treatment with abscisic acid (ABA), suggesting that its stress-responsive function might be associated with ABA-dependent network. Overexpression of CaTLP1 in transgenic tobacco plants conferred dehydration, salinity and oxidative stress tolerance along with improved shoot and root architecture. Molecular genetic analysis showed differential expression of CaTLP1 under normal and stress condition, and its preferential expression in the nucleus might be associated with enhanced stress tolerance. Our work suggests important roles of CaTLP1 in stress response as well as in the regulation of plant development.

Regulation of disease-responsive genes mediated by epigenetic factors: interaction of Arabidopsis-Pseudomonas

Genes in eukaryotic organisms function within the context of chromatin, and the mechanisms that modulate the structure of chromatin are defined as epigenetic. In Arabidopsis, pathogen infection induces the expression of at least one histone deacetylase, suggesting that histone acetylation/deacetylation has an important role in the pathogenic response in plants. How/whether histone methylation affects gene response to pathogen infection is unknown. To gain a better understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms regulating the interaction between Pseudomonas syringae and Arabidopsis thaliana, we analysed three different Arabidopsis ash1-related (absent, small or homeotic discs 1) mutants. We found that the loss of function of ASHH2 and ASHR1 resulted in faster hypersensitive responses (HRs) to both mutant (hrpA) and pathogenic (DC3000) strains of P. syringae, whereas control (Col-0) and ashr3 mutants appeared to be more resistant to the infection after 2 days. Furthermore, we showed that, in the ashr3 background, the PR1 gene (PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENE 1) displayed the highest expression levels on infection with DC3000, correlating with increased resistance against this pathogen. Our results show that, in both the ashr1 and ashh2 backgrounds, the histone H3 lysine 4 dimethylation (H3K4me2) levels decreased at the promoter region of PR1 on infection with the DC3000 strain, suggesting that an epigenetically regulated PR1 expression is involved in the plant defence. Our results suggest that histone methylation in response to pathogen infection may be a critical component in the signalling and defence processes occurring between plants and microbes.

Evidence of a role for foliar salicylic acid in regulating the rate of post-ingestive protein breakdown in ruminants and contributing to landscape pollution

Ruminant farming is important to global food security, but excessive proteolysis in the rumen causes inefficient use of nitrogenous plant constituents and environmental pollution. While both plant and microbial proteases contribute to ruminal proteolysis, little is known about post-ingestion regulation of plant proteases except that activity in the first few hours after ingestion of fresh forage can result in significant degradation of foliar protein. As the signal salicylic acid (SA) influences cell death during both biotic and abiotic stresses, Arabidopsis wild-type and mutants were used to test the effect of SA on proteolysis induced by rumen conditions (39 °C and anaerobic in a neutral pH). In leaves of Col-0, SA accumulation was induced by exposure to a rumen microbial inoculum. Use of Arabidopsis mutants with altered endogenous SA concentrations revealed a clear correlation with the rate of stress-induced proteolysis; rapid proteolysis occurred in leaves of SA-accumulating mutants cpr5-1 and dnd1-1 whereas there was little or no proteolysis in sid2-1 which is unable to synthesize SA. Reduced proteolysis in npr1-1 (Non-expressor of Pathogenesis Related genes) demonstrated a dependence on SA signalling. Slowed proteolysis in sid2-1 and npr1-1 was associated with the absence of a 34.6 kDa cysteine protease. These data suggest that proteolysis in leaves ingested by ruminants is modulated by SA. It is therefore suggested that influencing SA effects in planta could enable the development of forage crops with lower environmental impact and increased production potential.

S-Nitrosoglutathione is a component of wound- and salicylic acid-induced systemic responses in Arabidopsis thaliana

S-Nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) is a bioactive, stable, and mobile reservoir of nitric oxide (NO), and an important player in defence responses to herbivory and pathogen attack in plants. It has been demonstrated previously that GSNO reductase (GSNOR) is the main enzyme responsible for the in vivo control of intracellular levels of GSNO. In this study, the role of S-nitrosothiols, in particular of GSNO, in systemic defence responses in Arabidopsis thaliana was investigated further. It was shown that GSNO levels increased rapidly and uniformly in injured Arabidopsis leaves, whereas in systemic leaves GSNO was first detected in vascular tissues and later spread over the parenchyma, suggesting that GSNO is involved in the transmission of the wound mobile signal through the vascular tissue. Moreover, GSNO accumulation was required to activate the jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent wound responses, whereas the alternative JA-independent wound-signalling pathway did not involve GSNO. Furthermore, extending previous work on the role of GSNOR in pathogenesis, it was shown that GSNO acts synergistically with salicylic acid in systemic acquired resistance activation. In conclusion, GSNOR appears to be a key regulator of systemic defence responses, in both wounding and pathogenesis.

Arabidopsis touch-induced morphogenesis is jasmonate mediated and protects against pests

Plants cannot change location to escape stressful environments. Therefore, plants evolved to respond and acclimate to diverse stimuli, including the seemingly innocuous touch stimulus [1-4]. Although some species, such as Venus flytrap, have fast touch responses, most plants display more gradual touch-induced morphological alterations, called thigmomorphogenesis [2, 3, 5, 6]. Thigmomorphogenesis may be adaptive; trees subjected to winds develop less elongated and thicker trunks and thus are less likely damaged by powerful wind gusts [7]. Despite the widespread relevance of thigmomorphogenesis, the regulation that underlies plant mechanostimulus-induced morphological responses remains largely unknown. Furthermore, whether thigmomorphogenesis confers additional advantage is not fully understood. Although aspects of thigmomorphogenesis resemble ethylene effects [8], and touch can induce ethylene synthesis [9, 10], Arabidopsis ethylene response mutants show touch-induced thigmomorphogenesis [11]; thus, ethylene response is nonessential for thigmomorphogenesis. Here we show that jasmonate (JA) phytohormone both is required for and promotes the salient characteristics of thigmomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis, including a touch-induced delay in flowering and rosette diameter reduction. Furthermore, we find that repetitive mechanostimulation enhances Arabidopsis pest resistance in a JA-dependent manner. These results highlight an important role for JA in mediating mechanostimulus-induced plant developmental responses and resultant cross-protection against biotic stress.

Characterization and functional analysis of GhRDR6, a novel RDR6 gene from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

RDR6 (RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 6) is not only involved in virus resistance but also plays an important role in natural plant development. In the present study, a novel RDR gene, named GhRDR6 (Gossypium hirsutum RDR6), was isolated from cotton (G. hirsutum L.). Alignment and evolutionary relationship analyses showed that GhRDR6 was more closely related to RDR6 than to other RDRs. Expression analysis indicated that this single-copy gene is constitutively expressed in the roots, stems and leaves. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR (reverse transcription-PCR) showed that GhRDR6 was up-regulated by the application of various phytohormones, including MeJA [methyl JA (jasmonate)], ABA (abscisic acid), JA, α-naphthylacetic acid, gibberellins and ET (ethylene). In addition, GhRDR6 expression increased in response to wounding, cold (4°C) and NaCl treatments, but not by drought. Furthermore, overexpression of GhRDR6 in transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants resulted in root lengths longer than the wide-type during the seeding stage. Interestingly, the GhRDR6-overexpressing plants displayed reduced tolerance to oxidative damage, resulting in reduced ABA-sensitivity, but they tolerated freezing. Moreover, resistance to potato virus Y was enhanced in transgenic N. benthamiana plants. These results suggest that GhRDR6 may play an important role in plant defence responses and a pivotal role in plant development.

Salicylic acid regulates basal resistance to Fusarium head blight in wheat

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a destructive disease of cereal crops such as wheat and barley. Previously, expression in wheat of the Arabidopsis NPR1 gene (AtNPR1), which encodes a key regulator of salicylic acid (SA) signaling, was shown to reduce severity of FHB caused by Fusarium graminearum. It was hypothesized that SA signaling contributes to wheat defense against F. graminearum. Here, we show that increased accumulation of SA in fungus-infected spikes correlated with elevated expression of the SA-inducible pathogenesis-related 1 (PR1) gene and FHB resistance. In addition, FHB severity and mycotoxin accumulation were curtailed in wheat plants treated with SA and in AtNPR1 wheat, which is hyper-responsive to SA. In support of a critical role for SA in basal resistance to FHB, disease severity was higher in wheat expressing the NahG-encoded salicylate hydroxylase, which metabolizes SA. The FHB-promoting effect of NahG was overcome by application of benzo (1,2,3), thiadiazole-7 carbothioic acid S-methyl ester, a synthetic functional analog of SA, thus confirming an important role for SA signaling in basal resistance to FHB. We further demonstrate that jasmonate signaling has a dichotomous role in wheat interaction with F. graminearum, constraining activation of SA signaling during early stages of infection and promoting resistance during the later stages of infection.

A role for nonsense-mediated mRNA decay in plants: pathogen responses are induced in Arabidopsis thaliana NMD mutants

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a conserved mechanism that targets aberrant mRNAs for destruction. NMD has also been found to regulate the expression of large numbers of genes in diverse organisms, although the biological role for this is unclear and few evolutionarily conserved targets have been identified. Expression analyses of three Arabidopsis thaliana lines deficient in NMD reveal that the vast majority of NMD-targeted transcripts are associated with response to pathogens. Congruently, NMD mutants, in which these transcripts are elevated, confer partial resistance to Pseudomonas syringae. These findings suggest a biological rationale for the regulation of gene expression by NMD in plants and suggest that manipulation of NMD could offer a new approach for crop protection. Amongst the few non-pathogen responsive NMD-targeted genes, one potential NMD targeted signal, the evolutionarily conserved upstream open reading frame (CuORF), was found to be hugely over-represented, raising the possibility that this feature could be used to target specific physiological mRNAs for control by NMD.

Overexpression of GASA5 increases the sensitivity of Arabidopsis to heat stress

Basal thermotolerance is very important for plant growth and development when plants are subjected to heat stress. However, little is known about the functional mechanism of gibberellins (GAs) in the basal thermotolerance of plants. In the present work, we provide molecular evidence that a member of the gene family encoding the GA-stimulated Arabidopsis (GASA) peptides, namely GASA5, is involved in the regulation of seedling thermotolerance. The GASA5-overexpressing plants displayed a weak thermotolerance, with a faster cotyledon-yellowing rate, lower seedling-survival rate, and slower hypocotyl elongation, in comparison to the wild-type and GASA5 null-mutant (gasa5-1) plants, after heat-stress treatment. The short-hypocotyl phenotype of GASA5-overexpressing plants could be rescued by the exogenous application of salicylic acid (SA), the hormone found to protect plants from heat stress-induced damage. GASA5 expression was inhibited by heat stress but unaffected by the application of exogenous SA. However, expression of the gene encoding the noexpresser of PR genes 1 (NPR1), a key component of the SA-signaling pathway, was downregulated by GASA5 overexpression. Importantly, when different GASA5-genotype plants were treated with heat stress, several genes encoding heat-shock proteins, including HSP101, HSP70B, HSP90.1, HSP17.6-C1, and HSP60, were inhibited by GASA5 overexpression. Meanwhile, hydrogen peroxide was accumulated at high levels in heat stress-treated GASA5-overexpressing plants. These results suggest that the Arabidopsis GASA5 gene acts as a negative regulator in thermotolerance by regulating both SA signaling and heat shock-protein accumulation.

GeBP/GPL transcription factors regulate a subset of CPR5-dependent processes

The CONSTITUTIVE EXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES5 (CPR5) gene of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) encodes a putative membrane protein of unknown biochemical function and displays highly pleiotropic functions, particularly in pathogen responses, cell proliferation, cell expansion, and cell death. Here, we demonstrate a link between CPR5 and the GLABRA1 ENHANCER BINDING PROTEIN (GeBP) family of transcription factors. We investigated the primary role of the GeBP/GeBP-like (GPL) genes using transcriptomic analysis of the quadruple gebp gpl1,2,3 mutant and one overexpressing line that displays several cpr5-like phenotypes including dwarfism, spontaneous necrotic lesions, and increased pathogen resistance. We found that GeBP/GPLs regulate a set of genes that represents a subset of the CPR5 pathway. This subset includes genes involved in response to stress as well as cell wall metabolism. Analysis of the quintuple gebp gpl1,2,3 cpr5 mutant indicates that GeBP/GPLs are involved in the control of cell expansion in a CPR5-dependent manner but not in the control of cell proliferation. In addition, to our knowledge, we provide the first evidence that the CPR5 protein is localized in the nucleus of plant cells and that a truncated version of the protein with no transmembrane domain can trigger cpr5-like processes when fused to the VP16 constitutive transcriptional activation domain. Our results provide clues on how CPR5 and GeBP/GPLs play opposite roles in the control of cell expansion and suggest that the CPR5 protein is involved in transcription.

Oligogalacturonide-auxin antagonism does not require posttranscriptional gene silencing or stabilization of auxin response repressors in Arabidopsis

α-1-4-Linked oligogalacturonides (OGs) derived from plant cell walls are a class of damage-associated molecular patterns and well-known elicitors of the plant immune response. Early transcript changes induced by OGs largely overlap those induced by flg22, a peptide derived from bacterial flagellin, a well-characterized microbe-associated molecular pattern, although responses diverge over time. OGs also regulate growth and development of plant cells and organs, due to an auxin-antagonistic activity. The molecular basis of this antagonism is still unknown. Here we show that, in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), OGs inhibit adventitious root formation induced by auxin in leaf explants as well as the expression of several auxin-responsive genes. Genetic, biochemical, and pharmacological experiments indicate that inhibition of auxin responses by OGs does not require ethylene, jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid signaling and is independent of RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOGUE D-mediated reactive oxygen species production. Free indole-3-acetic acid levels are not noticeably altered by OGs. Notably, OG- as well as flg22-auxin antagonism does not involve any of the following mechanisms: (1) stabilization of auxin-response repressors; (2) decreased levels of auxin receptor transcripts through the action of microRNAs. Our results suggest that OGs and flg22 antagonize auxin responses independently of Aux/Indole-3-Acetic Acid repressor stabilization and of posttranscriptional gene silencing.

Loss-of-function of Constitutive Expresser of Pathogenesis Related Genes5 affects potassium homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana

Here, we demonstrate that the reduction in leaf K(+) observed in a mutant previously identified in an ionomic screen of fast neutron mutagenized Arabidopsis thaliana is caused by a loss-of-function allele of CPR5, which we name cpr5-3. This observation establishes low leaf K(+) as a new phenotype for loss-of-function alleles of CPR5. We investigate the factors affecting this low leaf K(+) in cpr5 using double mutants defective in salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) signalling, and by gene expression analysis of various channels and transporters. Reciprocal grafting between cpr5 and Col-0 was used to determine the relative importance of the shoot and root in causing the low leaf K(+) phenotype of cpr5. Our data show that loss-of-function of CPR5 in shoots primarily determines the low leaf K(+) phenotype of cpr5, though the roots also contribute to a lesser degree. The low leaf K(+) phenotype of cpr5 is independent of the elevated SA and JA known to occur in cpr5. In cpr5 expression of genes encoding various Cyclic Nucleotide Gated Channels (CNGCs) are uniquely elevated in leaves. Further, expression of HAK5, encoding the high affinity K(+) uptake transporter, is reduced in roots of cpr5 grown with high or low K(+) supply. We suggest a model in which low leaf K(+) in cpr5 is driven primarily by enhanced shoot-to-root K(+) export caused by a constitutive activation of the expression of various CNGCs. This activation may enhance K(+) efflux, either indirectly via enhanced cytosolic Ca(2+) and/or directly by increased K(+) transport activity. Enhanced shoot-to-root K(+) export may also cause the reduced expression of HAK5 observed in roots of cpr5, leading to a reduction in uptake of K(+). All ionomic data presented is publically available at www.ionomicshub.org.

UV-C-irradiated Arabidopsis and tobacco emit volatiles that trigger genomic instability in neighboring plants

We have previously shown that local exposure of plants to stress results in a systemic increase in genome instability. Here, we show that UV-C-irradiated plants produce a volatile signal that triggers an increase in genome instability in neighboring nonirradiated Arabidopsis thaliana plants. This volatile signal is interspecific, as UV-C-irradiated Arabidopsis plants transmit genome destabilization to naive tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants and vice versa. We report that plants exposed to the volatile hormones methyl salicylate (MeSA) or methyl jasmonate (MeJA) exhibit a similar level of genome destabilization as UV-C-irradiated plants. We also found that irradiated Arabidopsis plants produce MeSA and MeJA. The analysis of mutants impaired in the synthesis and/or response to salicylic acid (SA) and/or jasmonic acid showed that at least one other volatile compound besides MeSA and MeJA can communicate interplant genome instability. The NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES1 (npr1) mutant, defective in SA signaling, is impaired in both the production and the perception of the volatile signals, demonstrating a key role for NPR1 as a central regulator of genome stability. Finally, various forms of stress resulting in the formation of necrotic lesions also generate a volatile signal that leads to genomic instability.

Mining for treatment-specific and general changes in target compounds and metabolic fingerprints in response to herbivory and phytohormones in Plantago lanceolata

Induction studies focusing on target metabolites may not reveal metabolic changes occurring in plants after various challenges. By contrast, metabolic fingerprinting can be a powerful tool to find patterns that are either treatment-specific or general and was therefore used to depict plant responses after various challenges. Plants of Plantago lanceolata were challenged by mechanical damage, specialist herbivores (aphids or sawfly larvae), generalist herbivores (Lepidopteran caterpillars) or phytohormones (jasmonic or salicylic acid). After 3 d of treatment, local and systemic leaves were analyzed for characteristic target metabolites (iridoid glucosides and verbascoside) by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and for metabolic fingerprints by liquid chromatography coupled with time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOF-MS). Whereas only marginal changes in target metabolite concentrations were found, metabolic fingerprints were substantially affected especially by generalist and phytohormone treatments. By contrast, mechanical damage and specialist herbivory caused fewer changes. Responses to generalists partly overlapped with the changes caused by jasmonic acid, but many additional peaks were up-regulated. Furthermore, many peaks were co-induced by jasmonic and salicylic acid. The surprisingly high co-induction of peaks by both phytohormones suggests that the signaling pathways regulate a set of common targets. Furthermore, only metabolic fingerprinting could reveal that herbivores induce additional species-specific pathways beyond these phytohormone responses.

The sesquiterpene botrydial produced by Botrytis cinerea induces the hypersensitive response on plant tissues and its action is modulated by salicylic acid and jasmonic acid signaling

Botrytis cinerea, as a necrotrophic fungus, kills host tissues and feeds on the remains. This fungus is able to induce the hypersensitive response (HR) on its hosts, thus taking advantage on the host's defense machinery for generating necrotic tissues. However, the identity of HR effectors produced by B. cinerea is not clear. The aim of this work was to determine whether botrydial, a phytotoxic sesquiterpene produced by B. cinerea, is able to induce the HR on plant hosts, using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model. Botrydial induced the expression of the HR marker HSR3, callose deposition, and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and phenolic compounds. Botrydial also induced the expression of PR1 and PDF1.2, two pathogenesis-related proteins involved in defense responses regulated by salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA), respectively. A. thaliana and tobacco plants defective in SA signaling were more resistant to botrydial than wild-type plants, as opposed to A. thaliana plants defective in JA signaling, which were more sensitive. It can be concluded that botrydial induces the HR on its hosts and its effects are modulated by host signaling pathways mediated by SA and JA.

Regulatory subunit B'gamma of protein phosphatase 2A prevents unnecessary defense reactions under low light in Arabidopsis

Light is an important environmental factor that modulates acclimation strategies and defense responses in plants. We explored the functional role of the regulatory subunit B'γ (B'γ) of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in light-dependent stress responses of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The predominant form of PP2A consists of catalytic subunit C, scaffold subunit A, and highly variable regulatory subunit B, which determines the substrate specificity of PP2A holoenzymes. Mutant leaves of knockdown pp2a-b'γ plants show disintegration of chloroplasts and premature yellowing conditionally under moderate light intensity. The cell-death phenotype is accompanied by the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide through a pathway that requires CONSTITUTIVE EXPRESSION OF PR GENES5 (CPR5). Moreover, the pp2a-b'γ cpr5 double mutant additionally displays growth suppression and malformed trichomes. Similar to cpr5, the pp2a-b'γ mutant shows constitutive activation of both salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid-dependent defense pathways. In contrast to cpr5, however, pp2a-b'γ leaves do not contain increased levels of salicylic acid or jasmonic acid. Rather, the constitutive defense response associates with hypomethylation of DNA and increased levels of methionine-salvage pathway components in pp2a-b'γ leaves. We suggest that the specific B'γ subunit of PP2A is functionally connected to CPR5 and operates in the basal repression of defense responses under low irradiance.

Broad-spectrum suppression of innate immunity is required for colonization of Arabidopsis roots by the fungus Piriformospora indica

Piriformospora indica is a root-colonizing basidiomycete that confers a wide range of beneficial traits to its host. The fungus shows a biotrophic growth phase in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) roots followed by a cell death-associated colonization phase, a colonization strategy that, to our knowledge, has not yet been reported for this plant. P. indica has evolved an extraordinary capacity for plant root colonization. Its broad host spectrum encompasses gymnosperms and monocotyledonous as well as dicotyledonous angiosperms, which suggests that it has an effective mechanism(s) for bypassing or suppressing host immunity. The results of our work argue that P. indica is confronted with a functional root immune system. Moreover, the fungus does not evade detection but rather suppresses immunity triggered by various microbe-associated molecular patterns. This ability to suppress host immunity is compromised in the jasmonate mutants jasmonate insensitive1-1 and jasmonate resistant1-1. A quintuple-DELLA mutant displaying constitutive gibberellin (GA) responses and the GA biosynthesis mutant ga1-6 (for GA requiring 1) showed higher and lower degrees of colonization, respectively, in the cell death-associated stage, suggesting that P. indica recruits GA signaling to help establish proapoptotic root cell colonization. Our study demonstrates that mutualists, like pathogens, are confronted with an effective innate immune system in roots and that colonization success essentially depends on the evolution of strategies for immunosuppression.

Broad-spectrum suppression of innate immunity is required for colonization of Arabidopsis roots by the fungus Piriformospora indica

Piriformospora indica is a root-colonizing basidiomycete that confers a wide range of beneficial traits to its host. The fungus shows a biotrophic growth phase in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) roots followed by a cell death-associated colonization phase, a colonization strategy that, to our knowledge, has not yet been reported for this plant. P. indica has evolved an extraordinary capacity for plant root colonization. Its broad host spectrum encompasses gymnosperms and monocotyledonous as well as dicotyledonous angiosperms, which suggests that it has an effective mechanism(s) for bypassing or suppressing host immunity. The results of our work argue that P. indica is confronted with a functional root immune system. Moreover, the fungus does not evade detection but rather suppresses immunity triggered by various microbe-associated molecular patterns. This ability to suppress host immunity is compromised in the jasmonate mutants jasmonate insensitive1-1 and jasmonate resistant1-1. A quintuple-DELLA mutant displaying constitutive gibberellin (GA) responses and the GA biosynthesis mutant ga1-6 (for GA requiring 1) showed higher and lower degrees of colonization, respectively, in the cell death-associated stage, suggesting that P. indica recruits GA signaling to help establish proapoptotic root cell colonization. Our study demonstrates that mutualists, like pathogens, are confronted with an effective innate immune system in roots and that colonization success essentially depends on the evolution of strategies for immunosuppression.

Autophagy differentially controls plant basal immunity to biotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens

In plants, autophagy has been assigned 'pro-death' and 'pro-survival' roles in controlling programmed cell death associated with microbial effector-triggered immunity. The role of autophagy in basal immunity to virulent pathogens has not been addressed systematically, however. Using several autophagy-deficient (atg) genotypes, we determined the function of autophagy in basal plant immunity. Arabidopsis mutants lacking ATG5, ATG10 and ATG18a develop spreading necrosis upon infection with the necrotrophic fungal pathogen, Alternaria brassicicola, which is accompanied by the production of reactive oxygen intermediates and by enhanced hyphal growth. Likewise, treatment with the fungal toxin fumonisin B1 causes spreading lesion formation in atg mutant genotypes. We suggest that autophagy constitutes a 'pro-survival' mechanism that controls the containment of host tissue-destructive microbial infections. In contrast, atg plants do not show spreading necrosis, but exhibit marked resistance against the virulent biotrophic phytopathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. Inducible defenses associated with basal plant immunity, such as callose production or mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, were unaltered in atg genotypes. However, phytohormone analysis revealed that salicylic acid (SA) levels in non-infected and bacteria-infected atg plants were slightly higher than those in Col-0 plants, and were accompanied by elevated SA-dependent gene expression and camalexin production. This suggests that previously undetected moderate infection-induced rises in SA result in measurably enhanced bacterial resistance, and that autophagy negatively controls SA-dependent defenses and basal immunity to bacterial infection. We infer that the way in which autophagy contributes to plant immunity to different pathogens is mechanistically diverse, and thus resembles the complex role of this process in animal innate immunity.

Salicylic acid and its function in plant immunity

The small phenolic compound salicylic acid (SA) plays an important regulatory role in multiple physiological processes including plant immune response. Significant progress has been made during the past two decades in understanding the SA-mediated defense signaling network. Characterization of a number of genes functioning in SA biosynthesis, conjugation, accumulation, signaling, and crosstalk with other hormones such as jasmonic acid, ethylene, abscisic acid, auxin, gibberellic acid, cytokinin, brassinosteroid, and peptide hormones has sketched the finely tuned immune response network. Full understanding of the mechanism of plant immunity will need to take advantage of fast developing genomics tools and bioinformatics techniques. However, elucidating genetic components involved in these pathways by conventional genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology approaches will continue to be a major task of the community. High-throughput method for SA quantification holds the potential for isolating additional mutants related to SA-mediated defense signaling.

Phospholipidic signaling and vanillin production in response to salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate in Capsicum chinense J. cells

The phospholipidic signal transduction system involves generation of second messengers by hydrolysis or changes in phosphorylation state. Several studies have shown that the signaling pathway forms part of plant response to phytoregulators such as salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MJ), which have been widely used to stimulate secondary metabolite production in cell cultures. An evaluation was made of the effect of SA and MJ on phospholipidic signaling and capsaicinoid production in Capsicum chinense Jacq. suspension cells. Treatment with SA inhibited phospholipase C (PLC) (EC: 3.1.4.3) and phospholipase D (PLD) (EC: 3.1.4.4) activities in vitro, but increased lipid kinase activities in vitro at different SA concentrations. Treatment with MJ produced increases in PLC and PLD activities, while lipid kinase activities were variable and dose-dependent. The production of vanillin, a precursor of capsaicinoids, increased at specific SA or MJ doses. Preincubation with neomycin, a phospholipase inhibitor, before SA or MJ treatment inhibits increase in vanillin production which suggests that phospholipidic second messengers may participate in the observed increase in vanillin production.

Induction of BAP1 by a moderate decrease in temperature is mediated by ICE1 in Arabidopsis

Temperature variations at the nonextreme range modulate various processes of plant growth, development, and physiology, but how plants perceive and transduce these temperature signals is not well understood. Moderate cooling from 28 °C to 22 °C induces transcription of a number of genes in salicylic acid-dependent and -independent manners. Here, we report the study of the transcriptional control of the BON1-associated protein1 (BAP1) gene that is responsive to a moderate decrease of temperature as well as to many environmental stimuli. Using reporter genes under the control of series of regions of the BAP1 promoter, we identified a 35-bp fragment that is necessary and sufficient for the BAP1 transcript induction by a moderate cooling. This fragment also confers an induction of BAP1 by cold and reactive oxygen species-generating paraquat. Furthermore, the inducer of CBF expression1 (ICE1) protein that is involved in transcriptional control of cold responses is found to bind to a MYC element in this promoter and is required for the cooling induction of BAP1. The ice1 mutant has a low induction of BAP1 and enhanced resistance to a bacterial pathogen. Thus, responses to a moderate decrease in temperature may utilize components in the cold response as well as a potentiating signaling involving salicylic acid.

Separating the inseparable: the metabolomic analysis of plant-pathogen interactions

Plant-microbe interactions-whether pathogenic or symbiotic-exert major influences on plant physiology and productivity. Analysis of such interactions represents a particular challenge to metabolomic approaches due to the intimate association between the interacting partners coupled with a general commonality of metabolites. We here describe an approach based on co-cultivation of Arabidopsis cell cultures and bacterial plant pathogens to assess the metabolomes of both interacting partners, which we refer to as dual metabolomics.

A putative RNA-binding protein positively regulates salicylic acid-mediated immunity in Arabidopsis

RNA-binding proteins (RBP) can control gene expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Plants respond to pathogen infection with rapid reprogramming of gene expression. However, little is known about how plant RBP function in plant immunity. Here, we describe the involvement of an RBP, Arabidopsis thaliana RNA-binding protein-defense related 1 (AtRBP-DR1; At4g03110), in resistance to the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. AtRBP-DR1 loss-of-function mutants showed enhanced susceptibility to P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Overexpression of AtRBP-DR1 led to enhanced resistance to P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 strains and dwarfism. The hypersensitive response triggered by P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 avrRpt2 was compromised in the Atrbp-dr1 mutant and enhanced in the AtRBP-DR1 overexpression line at early time points. AtRBP-DR1 overexpression lines showed higher mRNA levels of SID2 and PR1, which are salicylic acid (SA) inducible, as well as spontaneous cell death in mature leaves. Consistent with these observations, the SA level was low in the Atrbp-dr1 mutant but high in the overexpression line. The SA-related phenotype in the overexpression line was fully dependent on SID2. Thus, AtRBP-DR1 is a positive regulator of SA-mediated immunity, possibly acting on SA signaling-related genes at a post-transcriptional level.

Brassinosteroid-mediated stress tolerance in Arabidopsis shows interactions with abscisic acid, ethylene and salicylic acid pathways

BACKGROUND

Brassinosteroids (BRs) play crucial roles in plant development and also promote tolerance to a range of abiotic stresses. Although much has been learned about their roles in plant development, the mechanisms by which BRs control plant stress responses and regulate stress-responsive gene expression are not fully known. Since BR interacts with other plant hormones, it is likely that the stress tolerance conferring ability of BR lies in part in its interactions with other stress hormones.

RESULTS

Using a collection of Arabidopsis mutants that are either deficient in or insensitive to abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene (ET), jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA), we studied the effects of 24-epibrassinloide (EBR) on basic thermotolerance and salt tolerance of these mutants. The positive impact of EBR on thermotolerance in proportion to wild type was evident in all mutants studied, with the exception of the SA-insensitive npr1-1 mutant. EBR could rescue the ET-insensitive ein2 mutant from its hypersensitivity to salt stress-induced inhibition of seed germination, but remained ineffective in increasing the survival of eto1-1 (ET-overproducer) and npr1-1 seedlings on salt. The positive effect of EBR was significantly greater in the ABA-deficient aba1-1 mutant as compared to wild type, indicating that ABA masks BR effects in plant stress responses. Treatment with EBR increased expression of various hormone marker genes in both wild type and mutant seedlings, although to different levels.

CONCLUSIONS

These results together indicate that the redox-sensitive protein NPR1 (NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES1), a master regulator of SA-mediated defense genes, is likely a critical component of EBR-mediated increase in thermotolerance and salt tolerance, but it is not required for EBR-mediated induction of PR-1 (PATHOGENESIS-RELATED1) gene expression; that BR exerts anti-stress effects independently as well as through interactions with other hormones; that ABA inhibits BR effects during stress; and that BR shares transcriptional targets with other hormones.

Involvement of salicylate and jasmonate signaling pathways in Arabidopsis interaction with Fusarium graminearum

Fusarium graminearum is the principal causative agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB), a devastating disease of wheat and barley. This fungus can also colonize Arabidopsis thaliana. Disease resistance was enhanced in transgenic wheat and Arabidopsis plants that constitutively overexpress the NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES 1 (NPR1) gene, which regulates salicylic acid (SA) signaling and modulates the activation of jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent defenses. Here, we provide several lines of evidence that reveal an important role for SA and JA signaling in Arabidopsis defense against F. graminearum. SA level was elevated in fungus-inoculated leaves, and SA application and biologically activated systemic acquired resistance enhanced resistance. Furthermore, the disruption of SA accumulation and signaling in the sid2 mutant and NahG transgenic plant, and the npr1 and wrky18 mutants, respectively, resulted in heightened susceptibility to this fungus in leaves and inflorescence. JA signaling was activated in parallel with SA signaling in the fungus-challenged plants. However, the hyperresistance of the JA pathway mutants opr3, coi1, and jar1 indicates that this pathway contributes to susceptibility. Genetic and biochemical experiments indicate that the JA pathway promotes disease by attenuating the activation of SA signaling in fungus-inoculated plants. However, the hypersusceptibility of the jar1 npr1 double mutant compared with the npr1 mutant suggests that JAR1 also contributes to defense, signifying a dichotomous role of JA and a JAR1-dependent mechanism in this interaction.

The Arabidopsis defense component EDM2 affects the floral transition in an FLC-dependent manner

Arabidopsis thaliana EDM2 was previously shown to be specifically required for disease resistance mediated by the R protein RPP7. Here we provide additional data showing that the role of EDM2 in plant immunity is limited and does not include a function in basal defense. In addition, we found that EDM2 has a promoting effect on the floral transition. We further found that the protein kinase WNK8 physically interacts with EDM2 in the nucleus. Unlike EDM2, which serves as a substrate of this kinase, WNK8 appears not to be required for RPP7-mediated defense. As reported previously, however, WNK8 does affect flowering time. Epistasis analyses suggested that EDM2 acts upstream of the floral repressor FLC (AT5G10140) and downstream of WNK8 (AT5G41990) in a regulatory module that resembles the autonomous floral promotion pathway, comprising a set of mechanisms that are known to affect the floral transition by regulating FLC transcript levels.

Identification, characterization, and expression analyses of class II and IV chitinase genes from Douglas-fir seedlings infected by Phellinus sulphurascens

Laminated root rot (LRR) disease, caused by the fungus Phellinus sulphurascens, is a major threat to coastal Douglas-fir (DF) (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests in western North America. Understanding host-pathogen interactions of this pathosystem is essential to manage this important conifer root disease. Our research objectives were to identify DF pathogenesis-related (PR) genes and analyze their expression patterns over the course of infection. We constructed a cDNA library of Phellinus sulphurascens-infected DF seedling roots and sequenced a total of 3,600 random cDNA clones from this library. One of the largest groups of identified genes (203 cDNA clones) matched with chitinase genes reported in other plant species. We identified at least three class II and six class IV chitinase genes from DF seedlings. Quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analyses showed significant differential expression patterns locally in root tissues and systemically in needle tissues after fungal invasion. Nonetheless, there was a common trend in gene expression patterns for most of the chitinase genes: an upregulation within 12 h of pathogen inoculation followed by down-regulation within 2 to 3 days postinoculation (dpi), and then further upregulation within 5 to 7 dpi. Western immunoblot data showed differential accumulation of class IV chitinases in Phellinus sulphurascens-infected DF seedlings. Further detailed functional analyses will help us to understand the specific role of DF chitinases in defense against Phellinus sulphurascens infection.

An F-box gene, CPR30, functions as a negative regulator of the defense response in Arabidopsis

Arabidopsis gain-of-resistance mutants, which show HR-like lesion formation and SAR-like constitutive defense responses, were used well as tools to unravel the plant defense mechanisms. We have identified a novel mutant, designated constitutive expresser of PR genes 30 (cpr30), that exhibited dwarf morphology, constitutive resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae and the dramatic induction of defense-response gene expression. The cpr30-conferred growth defect morphology and defense responses are dependent on ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY 1 (EDS1), PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT 4 (PAD4), and NONRACE-SPECIFIC DISEASE RESISTANCE 1 (NDR1). Further studies demonstrated that salicylic acid (SA) could partially account for the cpr30-conferred constitutive PR1 gene expression, but not for the growth defect, and that the cpr30-conferred defense responses were NPR1 independent. We observed a widespread expression of CPR30 throughout the plant, and a localization of CPR30-GFP fusion protein in the cytoplasm and nucleus. As an F-box protein, CPR30 could interact with multiple Arabidopsis-SKP1-like (ASK) proteins in vivo. Co-localization of CPR30 and ASK1 or ASK2 was observed in Arabidopsis protoplasts. Based on these results, we conclude that CPR30, a novel negative regulator, regulates both SA-dependent and SA-independent defense signaling, most likely through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in Arabidopsis.

Extracellular ATP is a regulator of pathogen defence in plants

In healthy plants extracellular ATP (eATP) regulates the balance between cell viability and death. Here we show an unexpected critical regulatory role of eATP in disease resistance and defensive signalling. In tobacco, enzymatic depletion of eATP or competition with non-hydrolysable ATP analogues induced pathogenesis-related (PR) gene expression and enhanced resistance to tobacco mosaic virus and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci. Artificially increasing eATP concentrations triggered a drop in levels of the important defensive signal chemical salicylic acid (SA) and compromised basal resistance to viral and bacterial infection. Inoculating tobacco leaf tissues with bacterial pathogens capable of activating PR gene expression triggered a rapid decline in eATP. Conversely, inoculations with mutant bacteria unable to induce defence gene expression failed to deplete eATP. Furthermore, a collapse in eATP concentration immediately preceded PR gene induction by SA. Our study reveals a previously unsuspected role for eATP as a negative regulator of defensive signal transduction and demonstrates its importance as a key signal integrating defence and cell viability in plants.

The salicylic acid-induced protection of non-climacteric unripe pepper fruit against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is similar to the resistance of ripe fruit

The anthracnose fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides deleteriously affects unripe pepper fruit, but not ripe fruit. Here, we show that the induction of local acquired resistance (LAR) by salicylic acid (SA), 2,6-dichloroisonicotinic acid, or benzo-(1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester pretreatment protects unripe pepper fruit against the fungus, while jasmonic acid (JA) does not. The SA-mediated LAR in the unripe fruit inhibited the fungal appressoria, resulting in protection against fungal infection. Microarray analysis revealed that 177 of 7,900 cDNA clones showed more than fourfold transcriptional accumulation in SA-treated unripe fruit. The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that most of the SA-responsive genes (SRGs) were regulated by SA, but not by JA or ethylene-releasing ethephon. Furthermore, most of the SRGs were preferentially expressed in the ripe fruit. These results suggest that the SA-mediated transcriptional regulation of SRGs has a critical role in the resistance of ripe pepper fruit to fungal infection.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens promotes tumor induction by modulating pathogen defense in Arabidopsis thaliana

Agrobacterium tumefaciens causes crown gall disease by transferring and integrating bacterial DNA (T-DNA) into the plant genome. To examine the physiological changes and adaptations during Agrobacterium-induced tumor development, we compared the profiles of salicylic acid (SA), ethylene (ET), jasmonic acid (JA), and auxin (indole-3-acetic acid [IAA]) with changes in the Arabidopsis thaliana transcriptome. Our data indicate that host responses were much stronger toward the oncogenic strain C58 than to the disarmed strain GV3101 and that auxin acts as a key modulator of the Arabidopsis-Agrobacterium interaction. At initiation of infection, elevated levels of IAA and ET were associated with the induction of host genes involved in IAA, but not ET signaling. After T-DNA integration, SA as well as IAA and ET accumulated, but JA did not. This did not correlate with SA-controlled pathogenesis-related gene expression in the host, although high SA levels in mutant plants prevented tumor development, while low levels promoted it. Our data are consistent with a scenario in which ET and later on SA control virulence of agrobacteria, whereas ET and auxin stimulate neovascularization during tumor formation. We suggest that crosstalk among IAA, ET, and SA balances pathogen defense launched by the host and tumor growth initiated by agrobacteria.

Dissection of salicylic acid-mediated defense signaling networks

The small phenolic molecule salicylic acid (SA) plays a key role in plant defense. Significant progress has been made recently in understanding SA-mediated defense signaling networks. Functional analysis of a large number of genes involved in SA biosynthesis and regulation of SA accumulation and signal transduction has revealed distinct but interconnecting pathways that orchestrate the control of plant defense. Further studies utilizing combinatorial approaches in genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry and genomics will uncover finer details of SA-mediated defense networks as well as further insights into the crosstalk of SA with other defense signaling pathways. The complexity of defense networks illustrates the capacity of plants to integrate multiple developmental and environmental signals into a tight control of the costly defense responses.