Benzothiadiazole-induced resistance modulates ozone tolerance

Elevated ozone phytotoxicity ameliorations in mung bean {Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek} by foliar nebulization of silicic acid and ascorbic acid

The present work provides an insight into the development of biochemical adaptations in mung beans against ozone (O₃) toxicity. The study aims to explore the O₃ stress tolerance potential of mung bean genotypes under exogenous application of growth regulators. The seeds of twelve mung bean genotypes were grown in plastic pots under controlled conditions in the glasshouse. Six treatments, control (ambient ozone level 40-45 ppb), ambient O₃ with ascorbic acid, ambient ozone with silicic acid, elevated ozone (120 ppb), elevated O₃ with ascorbic acid (10 mM), and elevated ozone with silicic acid (0.1 mM) were applied. The O₃ fumigation was carried out using an O₃ generator. The results revealed that ascorbic acid and silicic acid application decreased the number of plants with foliar O₃ injury symptoms in different degrees, i.e., zero, first, second, third, and fourth degrees; whereas 0-4 degree symptoms represent, no symptoms, symptoms occupying < 1/4, 1/4-1/2, 1/2-3/4, and > 3/4 of the total foliage area, respectively. Application of ascorbic acid and silicic acid also prevented the plants from the negative effects of O₃ in terms of fresh as well as dry matter production, leaf chlorophyll, carotenoids, soluble proteins and ascorbic acid, proline, and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents. Overall, silicic acid application proved more effective in reducing the negative effects of O₃ on mung bean genotypes as compared to that of the ascorbic acid. Three mung bean genotypes (NM 20-21, NM-2006, and NM-2016) were identified to have a better adaptive mechanism for O₃ toxicity tolerance and may be good candidates for future variety development programs.

Bacillus-Secreted Oxalic Acid Induces Tomato Resistance Against Gray Mold Disease Caused by Botrytis cinerea by Activating the JA/ET Pathway

Bacillus spp. are known for their ability to control plant diseases; however, the mechanism of disease control by Bacillus spp. is still unclear. Previously, bacterial organic acids have been implicated in the process of disease suppression. We extracted the total organic acid from Bacillus cereus AR156 culture filtrate and identified oxalic acid (OA) as the programmed cell death-inducing factor. OA strongly suppressed the lesion caused by Botrytis cinerea without significant antagonism against the fungus. Low concentration of OA produced by Bacillus spp. inhibited cell death caused by high concentrations of OA in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Pretreatment with a low concentration of OA led to higher accumulation of active oxygen-scavenging enzymes in tomato leaves and provoked the expression of defense-related genes. The activation of gene expression relied on the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway but not the salicylic acid (SA) pathway. The disease suppression capacity of OA was confirmed on wild-type tomato and its SA accumulation-deficient line, while the control effect was diminished in JA synthesis-deficient mutant, suggesting that the OA-triggered resistance relied on JA and ethylene (ET) signaling transduction. OA secretion ability was widely distributed among the tested Bacillus strains and the final environmental OA concentration was under strict regulation by a pH-sensitive degradation mechanism. This study provides the first systematic analysis on the role of low-concentration OA secreted and maintained by Bacillus spp. in suppression of gray mold disease and determines the dependence of OA-mediated resistance on the JA/ET signaling pathway. [Formula: see text] The author(s) have dedicated the work to the public domain under the Creative Commons CC0 "No Rights Reserved" license by waiving all of his or her rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law, 2022.

Unearthing the alleviatory mechanisms of hydrogen sulfide in aluminum toxicity in rice

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) improves aluminum (Al) resistance in rice, however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, treatment with 30-μM Al significantly inhibited rice root growth and increased the total Al content, apoplastic and cytoplasm Al concentration in the rice roots. However, pretreatment with NaHS (H₂S donor) reversed these negative effects. Pretreatment with NaHS significantly increased energy production under Al toxicity conditions, such as by increasing the content of ATP and nonstructural carbohydrates. In addition, NaHS stimulated the AsA-GSH cycle to decrease the peroxidation damage induced by Al toxicity. Pretreatment with NaHS significantly inhibited ethylene emissions in the rice and then inhibited pectin synthesis and increased the pectin methylation degree to reduce cell wall Al deposition. The phytohormones indole-3-acetic and brassinolide were also involved in the alleviation of Al toxicity by H₂S. The transcriptome results further confirmed that H₂S alleviates Al toxicity by increasing the pathways relating to material and energy metabolism, redox reactions, cell wall components, and signal transduction. These findings improve our understanding of how H₂S affects rice responses to Al toxicity, which will facilitate further studies on crop safety.

Structural characterization and functional activity of an exopolysaccharide secreted by Rhodopseudomonas palustris GJ-22

One water exopolysaccharide, designated G-EPS, was secreted by Rhodopseudomonas palustris GJ-22 culture media. The structure of G-EPS was characterized with HPGPC, GC-MS, methylation, 1D and 2D NMR, along with UV and FT-IR spectrum. The G-EPS molecular weight was 10.026 kilodalton, and is composed of D-mannose (92.8%) and d-glucose (7.2%). The purified G-EPS promoted plant growth and induced systemic resistance against TMV in Nicotiana benthamiana. These results suggested that G-EPS is an important active component of the bio-control capacity of GJ-22.

Tolerance to ozone might impose restrictions to plant disease management in tomato

Tropospheric ozone (O₃ ) is considered a major air pollutant having negative effects on plant growth and productivity. Background concentrations are expected to rise in several regions of the world in the next 50 years, affecting plant responses to diseases, thus requiring new management strategies for food production. The effects of elevated O₃ on the severity of a bacterial disease, and the effectiveness of a chemical defence inducer, were examined in two cultivars of tomato, Roma and Moneymaker, which present different tolerance to this pollutant. The two cultivars differ in their ability to produce and accumulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in leaf tissues. Tomato plants were challenged with a strain of Xanthomonas vesicatoria, Xv9, which is pathogenic on tomato. Ozone consistently increased severity of the disease by over 40% in both cultivars. In the more tolerant cultivar, O₃ pollution increased disease intensity, even after applying a commercially available product to enhance resistance (acibenzolar-S-methyl, BTH). In the more susceptible cultivar, level of disease attained depended on the oxidative balance that resulted from other stress factors. The antioxidant capacity of the plant at the time of infection was relevant for controlling development of the disease. Our results suggest that development of O₃ tolerance in commercial crops might impose a penalty cost in terms of disease management under projected higher O₃ concentrations.

Disturbance response indicators of Impatiens walleriana exposed to benzene and chromium

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the remediation potential and disturbance response indicators of Impatiens walleriana exposed to benzene and chromium. Numerous studies over the years have found abundant evidence of the carcinogenicity of benzene and chromium (VI) in humans. Benzene and chromium are two toxic industrial chemicals commonly found together at contaminated sites, and one of the most common management strategies employed in the recovery of sites contaminated by petroleum products and trace metals is in situ remediation. Given that increasing interest has focused on the use of plants as depollution agents, direct injection tests and benzene misting were performed on I. walleriana to evaluate the remediation potential of this species. I. walleriana accumulated hexavalent chromium, mainly in the root system (164.23 mg kg^-1), to the detriment of the aerial part (39.72 mg kg^-1), and presented visible damage only at the highest concentration (30 mg L^-1). Unlike chromium (VI), chromium (III) was retained almost entirely by the soil, leaving it available for removal by phytotechnology. However, after the contamination stopped, I. walleriana responded positively to the detoxification process, recovering its stem stiffness and leaf color. I. walleriana showed visible changes such as leaf chlorosis during the ten days of benzene contamination. When benzene is absorbed by the roots, it is translocated to and accumulated in the plant's aerial part. This mechanism the plant uses ensures its tolerance to the organic compound, enabling the species to survive and reproduce after treatment with benzene. Although I. walleriana accumulates minor amounts of hexavalent chromium in the aerial part, this amount suffices to induce greater oxidative stress and to increase the amount of hydrogen peroxide when compared to that of benzene. It was therefore concluded that I. walleriana is a species that possesses desirable characteristics for phytotechnology.

Bacillus cereus AR156 Extracellular Polysaccharides Served as a Novel Micro-associated Molecular Pattern to Induced Systemic Immunity to Pst DC3000 in Arabidopsis

Non-host resistance (NHR) is a broad-spectrum plant defense. Upon colonizing on the surface on the root or leaves of non-host species, pathogens initial encounter preform and induce defense response in plant, such as induced hypersensitive response, PAMPs triggered immunity (PTI), and effector triggered immunity (ETI). The ability of plants to develop an induced systemic response (ISR) in reaction to the colonization by non-pathogenic rhizobacterium depends on interactions between host plants and the colonizing rhizobacterium, and the ISR also can be defined as a NHR. However, how the colonization signal is and how systemic resistance to pathogens is developed is still unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that the extracellular polysaccharides (EPSs) of Bacillus cereus AR156 could act as novel microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) and function in the early perception status of the ISR of B. cereus AR156. The results revealed that B. cereus AR156 EPS could induce systemic resistance to Pst DC3000 in Arabidopsis. Cellular defense response markers such as hydrogen peroxide accumulation, callose deposition, and defense-associated enzyme were induced upon challenge inoculation in the leaves primed by EPS. Moreover, the defense-related genes PR1, PR2, and PR5 and mitogen-activated kinases (MAPK) cascade marker gene MPK6 were concurrently expressed in the leaves of EPS-treated plants and induced higher resistance to Pst DC3000 in Col-0 than that in the jar1 or etr1 mutants. The protection was absent in the NahG transgenic plants and npr1 mutant, suggesting an activation of the salicylic acid (SA)- and the MAPK-dependent signaling pathways with NPR1-dependent by B. cereus AR156 EPS. In conclusion, B. cereus AR156 EPS play an important role in MAMP perception during the process of rhizobacteria-triggered NHR. This study is the first to illustrate how AR156 induces systemic resistance to Pst DC3000 in Arabidopsis. It also provides the first explanation of how plants perceive colonization of non-pathogenic bacteria and how rhizobacteria trigger ISR to plant pathogens.

Assessment of the ozone tolerance of two soybean cultivars (Glycine max cv. Sambaíba and Tracajá) cultivated in Amazonian areas

Brazilian soybean cultivars (Glycine max Sambaíba and Tracajá) routinely grown in Amazonian areas were exposed to filtered air (FA) and filtered air enriched with ozone (40 and 80 ppb, 6 h/day for 5 days) to assess their level of tolerance to this pollutant by measuring changes in key biochemical, physiological, and morphological indicators of injury and in enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Sambaíba plants were more sensitive to ozone than Tracajá plants, as revealed by comparing indicator injury responses and antioxidant stimulations. Sambaíba exhibited higher visible leaf injury, higher stomatal conductance, and a severe decrease in the carbon assimilation rate. Higher ozone level (80 ppb) caused an increase in cell death in both cultivars. Levels of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide also increased in Tracajá exposed under 80 ppb. Sambaíba plants exhibited decreases in ascorbate and glutathione levels and in enzymatic activities associated with these antioxidants. The higher tolerance of the Tracajá soybean appeared to be indicated by reduced physiological injuries and lower stomatal conductance, which might decrease the influx of ozone and enhance oxidation-reduction reactions involving catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, ascorbate, and glutathione, most likely stimulated by higher hydrogen peroxide.

Response of Brazilian native trees to acute ozone dose

Ozone (O3) is a toxic secondary pollutant able to cause an intense oxidative stress that induces visual symptoms on sensitive plant species. Controlled fumigation experiment was conducted with the aim to verify the O3 sensibility of three tropical species: Piptadenia gonoachanta (Mart.) Macbr. (Fabaceae), Astronium graveolens Jacq. (Anacardiaceae), and Croton floribundus Spreng. (Euphorbiaceae). The microscopical features involved in the oxidative stress were recognized based on specific histochemical analysis. The three species showed visual symptoms, characterized as necrosis and stippling between the veins, mostly visible on the adaxial leaf surface. All the studied species presented hypersensitive-like response (HR-like), and peroxide hydrogen accumulation (H2O2) followed by cell death and proanthocyanidin oxidation in P. gonoachanta and A. graveolens. In P. gonoachanta, a decrease in chlorophyll autofluorescence occurred on symptomatic tissues, and in A. graveolens and C. floribundus, a polyphenol compound accumulation occurred. The responses of Brazilian native species were similar to those described for sensitive species from temperate climate, and microscopical markers may be useful for the detection of ozone symptoms in future studies in the field.

How do background ozone concentrations affect the biosynthesis of rosmarinic acid in Melissa officinalis?

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis; Lamiaceae) plants were exposed to background ozone (O3) dosages (80ppb for 5h), because high background levels of O3 are considered to be as harmful as episodic O3 peaks. Immediately at the end of fumigation the plants appeared visually symptomless, but necrotic lesions were observed later. The biosynthesis of rosmarinic acid (RA) comprises eight enzymes, among them phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), 4-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase (4CL), tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) and rosmarinic acid synthase (RAS). The transcript levels of these genes have been investigated by quantitative RT-PCR. There was a quick up-regulation of all genes at 3h of O3 exposure, but at 24h from beginning of exposure (FBE) only RAS and PAL were up-regulated. The specific activity of RAS was closely correlated with a decrease of RA concentration in lemon balm leaves. The specific activity of PAL increased at 12h FBE to 163% in comparison to control levels. This work provides insight into the effect of O3 stress on the formation of the main phenolic ingredient of the pharmaceutically important plant M. officinalis.

How sensitive is Melissa officinalis to realistic ozone concentrations?

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis, L.; Lamiaceae) was exposed to realistic ozone (O3) dosages (80 ppb for 5 h), because high background levels of O3 are considered to be as harmful as episodic O3 regimes. Temporal alterations of different ecophysiological, biochemical and structural parameters were investigated in order to test if this species can be considered as an O3-bioindicator regarding changes in background concentrations. At the end of ozone exposure, the plants did not exhibit any visible foliar symptoms, as only at microscopic level a small number of dead cells were found. Photosynthetic processes, however, were significantly affected. During and after the treatment, ozone induced a reduction in CO2 fixation capacity (up to 52% after 12 h from the beginning of the treatment) due to mesophyllic limitations. Intercellular CO2 concentration significantly increased in comparison to controls (+90% at the end of the post-fumigation period). Furthermore impairment of carboxylation efficiency (-71% at the end of the post-fumigation period compared to controls in filtered air) and membrane damage in terms of integrity (as demonstrated by a significant rise in solute leakage) were observed. A regulatory adjustment of photosynthetic processes was highlighted during the post-fumigation period by the higher values of qNP and (1-q(P)) and therefore suggests a tendency to reduce the light energy used in photochemistry at the expense of the capacity to dissipate the excess as excitation energy. In addition, the chlorophyll a/b ratio and the de-epoxidation index increased, showing a rearrangement of the pigment composition of the photosynthetic apparatus and a marked activation of photoprotective mechanisms.

The role of ROS signaling in cross-tolerance: from model to crop

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key signaling molecules produced in response to biotic and abiotic stresses that trigger a variety of plant defense responses. Cross-tolerance, the enhanced ability of a plant to tolerate multiple stresses, has been suggested to result partly from overlap between ROS signaling mechanisms. Cross-tolerance can manifest itself both as a positive genetic correlation between tolerance to different stresses (inherent cross-tolerance), and as the priming of systemic plant tolerance through previous exposure to another type of stress (induced cross-tolerance). Research in model organisms suggests that cross-tolerance could be used to benefit the agronomy and breeding of crop plants. However, research under field conditions has been scarce and critical issues including the timing, duration, and intensity of a stressor, as well as its interactions with other biotic and abiotic factors, remain to be addressed. Potential applications include the use of chemical stressors to screen for stress-resistant genotypes in breeding programs and the agronomic use of chemical inducers of plant defense for plant protection. Success of these applications will rely on improving our understanding of how ROS signals travel systemically and persist over time, and of how genetic correlations between resistance to ROS, biotic, and abiotic stresses are shaped by cooperative and antagonistic interactions within the underlying signaling pathways.

A mutation in the FZL gene of Arabidopsis causing alteration in chloroplast morphology results in a lesion mimic phenotype

Lesion mimic mutants (LMMs) are a class of mutants in which hypersensitive cell death and defence responses are constitutively activated in the absence of pathogen attack. Various signalling molecules, such as salicylic acid (SA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), Ca(2+), ethylene, and jasmonate, are involved in the regulation of multiple pathways controlling hypersensitive response (HR) activation, and LMMs are considered useful tools to understand the role played by the key elements of the HR cell death signalling cascade. Here the characterization of an Arabidopsis LMM lacking the function of the FZL gene is reported. This gene encodes a membrane-remodelling GTPase playing an essential role in the determination of thylakoid and chloroplast morphology. The mutant displayed alteration in chloroplast number, size, and shape, and the typical characteristics of an LMM, namely development of chlorotic lesions on rosette leaves and constitutive expression of genetic and biochemical markers associated with defence responses. The chloroplasts are a major source of ROS, and the characterization of this mutant suggests that their accumulation, triggered by damage to the chloroplast membranes, is a signal sufficient to start the HR signalling cascade, thus confirming the central role of the chloroplast in HR activation.

Ethylenediurea (EDU): a research tool for assessment and verification of the effects of ground level ozone on plants under natural conditions

Ethylenediurea (EDU) has been widely used to prevent ozone (O(3)) injury and crop losses in crop plants and growth reductions in forest trees. Successful use requires establishing a dose/response curve for EDU and the proposed plant in the absence of O(3) and in the presence of O(3) before initiating multiple applications to prevent O(3) injury. EDU can be used to verify foliar O(3) symptoms in the field, and to screen plants for sensitivity to O(3) under ambient conditions. Despite considerable research, the mode of action of EDU remains elusive. Additional research on the mode of action of EDU in suppressing O(3) injury in plants may also be helpful in understanding the mode of action of O(3) in causing injury in plants.

The efficiency of tobacco Bel-W3 and native species for ozone biomonitoring in subtropical climate, as revealed by histo-cytochemical techniques

We aimed to verify whether hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) accumulation and cell death are detected early in three bioindicators of ozone (O(3)), Nicotiana tabacum 'Bel-W3', Ipomoea nil 'Scarlet O'Hara' and Psidium guajava 'Paluma', and whether environmental factors also affect those microscopic markers. The three species were exposed to chronic levels of O(3) in a subtropical area and a histo-cytochemical technique that combines 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) with Evans blue staining was used in the assessments. The three species accumulated H(2)O(2), but a positive correlation with O(3) concentration was only observed in N. tabacum. A positive correlation between O(3) and cellular death was also observed in N. tabacum. In I. nil and P. guajava, environmental factors were responsible for symptoms at the microscopic level, especially in P. guajava. We conclude that the most appropriate and least appropriate bioindicator plant for O(3) monitoring in the subtropics are N. tabacum 'Bel-W3' and P. guajava 'Paluma', respectively.

The plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium Bacillus cereus AR156 induces systemic resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana by simultaneously activating salicylate- and jasmonate/ethylene-dependent signaling pathways

Bacillus cereus AR156 is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium that induces resistance against a broad spectrum of pathogens including Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. This study analyzed AR156-induced systemic resistance (ISR) to DC3000 in Arabidopsis ecotype Col-0 plants. Compared with mock-treated plants, AR156-treated ones showed an increase in biomass and reductions in disease severity and pathogen density in the leaves. The defense-related genes PR1, PR2, PR5, and PDF1.2 were concurrently expressed in the leaves of AR156-treated plants, suggesting simultaneous activation of the salicylic acid (SA)- and the jasmonic acid (JA)- and ethylene (ET)-dependent signaling pathways by AR156. The above gene expression was faster and stronger in plants treated with AR156 and inoculated with DC3000 than that in plants only inoculated with DC3000. Moreover, the cellular defense responses hydrogen peroxide accumulation and callose deposition were induced upon challenge inoculation in the leaves of Col-0 plants primed by AR156. Also, pretreatment with AR156 led to a higher level of induced protection against DC3000 in Col-0 than that in the transgenic NahG, the mutant jar1 or etr1, but the protection was absent in the mutant npr1. Therefore, AR156 triggers ISR in Arabidopsis by simultaneously activating the SA- and JA/ET-signaling pathways in an NPR1-dependent manner that leads to an additive effect on the level of induced protection.

Tropospheric ozone and plants: absorption, responses, and consequences

Ozone is now considered to be the second most important gaseous pollutant in our environment. The phytotoxic potential of O₃ was first observed on grape foliage by B.L. Richards and coworkers in 1958 (Richards et al. 1958). To date, unsustainable resource utilization has turned this secondary pollutant into a major component of global climate change and a prime threat to agricultural production. The projected levels to which O₃ will increase are critically alarming and have become a major issue of concern for agriculturalists, biologists, environmentalists and others plants are soft targets for O₃. Ozone enters plants through stomata, where it disolves in the apoplastic fluid. O₃ has several potential effects on plants: direct reaction with cell membranes; conversion into ROS and H₂O₂ (which alters cellular function by causing cell death); induction of premature senescence; and induction of and up- or down-regulation of responsive components such as genes , proteins and metabolites. In this review we attempt to present an overview picture of plant O₃ interactions. We summarize the vast number of available reports on plant responses to O₃ at the morphological, physiological, cellular, biochemical levels, and address effects on crop yield, and on genes, proteins and metabolites. it is now clear that the machinery of photosynthesis, thereby decreasing the economic yield of most plants and inducing a common morphological symptom, called the "foliar injury". The "foliar injury" symptoms can be authentically utilized for biomonitoring of O₃ under natural conditions. Elevated O₃ stress has been convincingly demonstrated to trigger an antioxidative defense system in plants. The past several years have seen the development and application of high-throughput omics technologies (transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) that are capable of identifying and prolifiling the O₃-responsive components in model and nonmodel plants. Such studies have been carried out ans have generated an inventory of O₃-Responsive components--a great resource to the scientific community. Recently, it has been shown that certain organic chemicals ans elevated CO₂ levels are effective in ameliorating O₃-generated stress. Both targeted and highthroughput approaches have advanced our knowledge concerning what O₃-triggerred signaling and metabolic pathways exist in plants. Moreover, recently generated information, and several biomarkers for O₃, may, in the future, be exploited to better screen and develop O₃-tolerant plants.

Leaf phenolic compounds in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) induced by exposure to moderately elevated ozone

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), an important feed crop in many parts of the world, is exposed to elevated ozone over large areas. Plants can limit ozone-induced damages by various defence mechanisms. In this work, changes in the concentrations of antioxidant phenolic compounds induced by slightly elevated levels of ozone were determined in red clover leaves by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. 31 different phenolics were identified and the most abundant isoflavones and flavonoids were biochanin A glycoside malonate (G-M), formononetin-G-M and quercetin-G-M. Elevated ozone (mean 32.4 ppb) increased the total phenolic content of leaves and also had minor effects on the concentrations of individual compounds. Elevated ozone increased the net photosynthesis rate of red clover leaves before visible injuries by 21-23%. This study thus suggests that the concentrations of phenolics in red clover leaves change in response to slightly elevated ozone levels.

Plant cell death and cellular alterations induced by ozone: key studies in Mediterranean conditions

An account of histo-cytological and ultrastructural studies on ozone effect on crop and forest species in Italy is given, with emphasis on induced cell death and the underlying mechanisms. Cell death phenomena possibly due to ambient O(3) were recorded in crop and forest species. In contrast, visible O(3) effects on Mediterranean vegetation are often unclear. Microscopy is thus suggested as an effective tool to validate and evaluate O(3) injury to Mediterranean vegetation. A DAB-Evans blue staining was proposed to validate O(3) symptoms at the microscopic level and for a pre-visual diagnosis of O(3) injury. The method has been positively tested in some of the most important crop species, such as wheat, tomato, bean and onion and, with some restriction, in forest species, and it also allows one to gain some very useful insights into the mechanisms at the base of O(3) sensitivity or tolerance.

Gel-based proteomics reveals potential novel protein markers of ozone stress in leaves of cultivated bean and maize species of Panama

We examined responses of cultivated bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. IDIAP R-3) and maize (Zea mays L. cv. Guarare 8128) plants exposed to ozone (O(3)) using a leaf injury assessment and proteomics approach. Plants grown for 16 days in greenhouse were transferred to an O(3) chamber and exposed continuously to 0.2 ppm O(3) or filtered pollutant-free air for up to 72 h. CBB-stained gels revealed changes in ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) protein. By Western analysis changes in marker proteins for O(3) damage in leaves by 1-DE were checked. In bean leaves, two superoxide dismutase (SOD) protein (19 and 20 kDa) were dramatically decreased, while ascorbate peroxidase (APX, 25 kDa), small heat shock protein (HSP, 33 kDa), and a naringenin-7-O-methyltransferase (NOMT, 42 kDa) were increased by O(3). In maize leaves, expression levels of catalase (increased), SOD (decreased), and APX (increased) were drastically changed by O(3) depending on the leaf stage, whereas crossreacting HSPs (24 and 30 kDa) and NOMT (41 kDa) proteins were strongly increased in O(3)-stressed younger leaves. These results indicated a clear modulation of oxidative stress-, heat shock-, and secondary metabolism-related proteins by O(3). Finally, 2-DE at 72 h after O(3) exposure revealed changes (induction/suppression) in expression levels of 25 and 12 protein spots in bean and maize leaves, respectively. Out of these, ten and nine nonredundant proteins in bean and maize, respectively, were identified by MS. A novel pathogenesis-related protein 2 may serve as a potential marker for O(3) stress in bean.

Priming for stress resistance: from the lab to the field

Upon treatment with necrotizing pathogens, many plants develop an enhanced capacity for activating defense responses to biotic and abiotic stress--a process called priming. The primed state can also be induced by colonization of plant roots with beneficial micro-organisms or by treatment of plants with various natural and synthetic compounds. Priming is thought to be the mechanism by which plants can show induced resistance against ostensibly virulent pathogens after a conditioning treatment. Although the phenomenon has been known for years, it has been appreciated just recently that priming for enhanced defense responses can result from plant-plant communication in nature and that priming can also boost the resistance of crops to biotic and abiotic stresses in the field.

Ozone sensitivity of currant tomato (Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium), a potential bioindicator species

The wild tomato species Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium (currant tomato) was exposed to different O3 concentration, both in controlled environment fumigation facilities and in open-top chambers, to assess its sensitivity and to verify its potential as a bioindicator plant. Plants appeared particularly sensitive to O3 at an early stage of growth, responding with typical chlorotic spots within 24 h after exposure to a single pulse of 50 ppb for 3 h, and differentiating peculiar symptoms, such as reddish necrotic stipples, bronzing and extensive necrosis, depending on O3 concentration. Histo-cytochemical investigations with 3,3'-diaminobenzidine, to localize H2O2, and Evans blue, to detect dead cells, suggested that currant tomato sensitivity to O3 could be due to a deficiency in the anti-oxidant pools. The combination of these stainings proved to be useful, either to predict visible symptoms, early before their appearance, and to validate leaf ozone injury.

Induction of resistance to gray mold with benzothiadiazole modifies amino acid profile and increases proanthocyanidins in grape: primary versus secondary metabolism

Field treatments of grapevine (cv. Merlot) with the plant activator benzothiadiazole (BTH, 0.3 mM) induced resistance against gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea. Both incidence and severity of the disease were reduced. The resistance was associated with an increase of total polyphenols in berry skins, in particular, the proanthocyanidin fraction, that increased up to 36%. The amino acid profile of leaves was also modified by treatments, particularly lysine, that augmented 4-fold. Other amino acids involved in resistance mechanisms to either biotic or abiotic stress increased as well. These results indicate that BTH treatments can be used to control gray mold, thereby limiting an excessive use of fungicides, and could be exploited to increase the content of micronutrients of high nutritional value, arising from both primary and secondary metabolisms.