Rapid accumulation of trihydroxy oxylipins and resistance to the bean rust pathogen Uromyces fabae following wounding in Vicia faba

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Insect damage to plants leads to wound-activated responses directed to healing of damaged tissues, as well as activation of defences to prevent further insect damage. Negative cross-talk exists between the jasmonic acid-based signalling system that is activated upon insect attack and the salicylic acid-based system frequently activated following pathogen infection. Thus, insect attack may compromise the ability of the plant to defend itself against pathogens and vice versa. However, insect herbivory and mechanical wounding have been shown to reduce fungal infections on some plants, although the underlying mechanisms remain to be defined. This work examines the effects of mechanical wounding on rust infection both locally and systemically in the broad bean, Vicia faba and follows changes in oxylipins in wounded leaves and unwounded leaves on wounded plants. METHODS: The lamina of first leaves was wounded by crushing with forceps, and first and second leaves were then inoculated, separately, with the rust Uromyces fabae at various times over a 24 h period. Wounded first leaves and unwounded second leaves were harvested at intervals over a 24 h period and used for analysis of oxylipin profiles. KEY RESULTS Mechanical wounding of first leaves of broad bean led to significantly reduced rust infection in the wounded first leaf as well as the unwounded second leaf. Increased resistance to infection was induced in plants inoculated with rust just 1 h after wounding and was accompanied by rapid and significant accumulation of jasmonic acid and two trihydroxy oxylipins in both wounded first leaves and unwounded second leaves. The two trihydroxy oxylipins were found to possess antifungal properties, reducing germination of rust spores. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the rapidity with which resistance to pathogen infection can be induced following wounding and provides a possible mechanism by which pathogen infection might be halted.     

Short-term polyamine response in TMV-inoculated hypersensitive and susceptible tobacco plants

The short-term polyamine response to inoculation, with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), of TMV-inoculated NN (hypersensitive) and nn (susceptible) plants of Nicotiana tabacum (L.) cv. Samsun was investigated. Free and conjugated polyamine concentrations, putrescine biosynthesis, evaluated through arginine decarboxylase (ADC) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activities, and putrescine oxidation, via diamine oxidase (DAO) activity, were analysed during the first 24 h from inoculation. Results were compared with those of mock-inoculated control plants. In NN TMV-inoculated plants undergoing the hypersensitive response (HR), free putrescine and spermidine concentrations had increased after 5 h compared with controls; polyamine conjugates also tended to increase compared with controls. In both virus- and mock-inoculated plants, ADC and ODC activities generally increased whereas DAO activity, which was present in controls, was detectable only in traces in inoculated tissues.
In TMV-infected susceptible plants, free putrescine and spermidine concentrations were lower at 5 h relative to controls, as were polyamine conjugates. No differences were revealed in ADC and ODC activities whereas DAO activity was not detectable. These results further support the hypothesis that polyamines are involved in the response of tobacco to TMV and that, only a few hours after inoculation, the response of hypersensitive plants is distinct from that of susceptible ones.     

Role of putrescine in enhancing shoot elongation in Scirpus mucronatus under submergence

Changes in polyamine biosynthesis in relation to submergence-enhanced shoot elongation were determined in shoots of Scirpus mucronatus L. Under submergence, the levels of free putrescine and the activities of arginine decarboxylase (ADC, EC 4.1.1.19) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC, EC 4.1.1.17) increased, but the levels of free spermidine and spermine and the activity of S -adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC, EC 4.1.1.50) decreased. The increases in free putrescine and shoot elongation in submerged shoots diminished from the base to the apex. The increase in free putrescine in submerged shoots was coincident with the increase in shoot length. The submergence-induced increases in free putrescine and shoot elongation were inhibited by both 5 μ M a -difluoromethylarginine and 5 μ M a -difluoromethylornithine, and the inhibitory effects were reversed by 50 μ M putrescine. These overall results indicate that ADC- and ODC-mediated putrescine synthesis is essential for the elongation of Scirpus shoots grown under submergence.     

Polyamine concentrations and arginine decarboxylase activity in wheat exposed to osmotic stress

The activity of L-arginine decarboxylase (ADC: EC 4.1.1.19)and polyamine content were examine in intact wheat plants ( Triticum aestivum L. cv. Sappo) exposed to osmotic stress (0.4 M mannitol) for 5 days. ADC activity was increased in first and second leaves and in roots of mannitol-stressed plants. Concentrations of putrescine, cadaverine and spermine were generally increased in leaves and roots of plants exposed to mannitol, whereas spermidine was reduced in first leaves and roots of these plants. In an attempt to determine the localization of mannitol in stressed wheat. ¹⁴C-mannitol was fed to plants grown in liquid culture. Most of the mannitol was detected in roots (84%), while small amounts were found in first (9%) and second (7%) leves.
Since it seemed possible that some of the effects on polyamine metabolism caused by exposure to mannitol could have been the result of water stress. polyamine metabolism was also studied in plants water stressed by exposure to 2% polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000. ADC activity was not altered by exposure to PEG. but concentrations of putrescine, spermidine and spermine were generally reduced in leaves and roots of stressed plants. Cadaverine concentrations were not significantly affected by exposure to PEG. Spermidine and spermine concentrations were reduced in first and second leaves but remained unchanged in roots of plants exposed to PEG.     

Opposite effects of fusicoccin and IAA on putrescine synthesis of rice coleop tiles

Changes in polyamine biosynthesis and elongation of etiolated rice coleoptiles ( Oryza sativa L. cv. Taichung Native 1) in response to fusicoccin (FC) and indoleacetic acid (IAA) were investigated. FC stimulated coleoptile elongation at concentrations higher than 1 μ M but caused a decrease in the levels of free putrescine, spermidine and sper-mine, as well as in the activities of arginine decarboxylase (ADC, EC 4.1.1.19) and S -adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC, EC 4.1.1.50). The extent to which FC caused these effects was dependent on its concentration. Treatment with 100 μ M IAA also induced coleoptile elongation and resulted in a decrease in free spermidine/sper-mine and SAMDC activity. However, treatment with IAA resulted in an increase in free putrescine levels and ADC activity. The extent of coleoptile elongation and putrescine accumulation also depended on IAA concentration. α-Difluoromethylarginine (DFMA), an irreversible inhibitor of ADC. but not α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO). an irreversible inhibitor of ODC (EC 4.1.1.17), inhibited the LAA-stimulated coleoptile elongation and putrescine accumulation. Addition of putrescine could not reverse the effect of DFMA.     

Wounding of potato tubers induces increases in ABA biosynthesis and catabolism and alters expression of ABA metabolic genes

The effects of physical wounding on ABA biosynthesis and catabolism and expression of genes encoding key ABA metabolic enzymes were determined in potato tubers. An increase in ABA and ABA metabolite content was observed 48 h after wounding and remained elevated through 96 h. Wounding induced dramatic increases in the expression of the ABA metabolic genes encoding zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP), 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED), and ABA-8′-hydroxylase. Although the patterns of wound-induced expression of individual genes varied, increased gene expression was observed within 3 h of wounding and remained elevated through 96 h. An apparent correlation between expression of the gene encoding ZEP and the increase in ABA content suggested that the wound-induced increase in ABA biosynthesis was regulated by both substrate availability and increased NCED activity. Suppression of wound-induced jasmonic acid accumulation by rinsing the wounded tissue with water did not inhibit the subsequent increase in ABA content. Exogenous ethylene completely suppressed the wound-induced increase in ABA content and dramatically reduced wound-induced up-regulation of ABA metabolic genes. This study is the first to identify the molecular bases for increased ABA accumulation following physical trauma in potato tubers and highlights the complex physiological interactions between various wound-induced hormones.     

Mechanical wounding and abscission in citrus

Fruit detachment force (FDF), ethylene evolution, fruit and leaf drop were determined in Citrus sinensis for periods up to 96 h after mechanical wounding. Injury by removing a thin section of mature fruit flavedo reduced FDF, increased ethylene evolution and promoted abscission. Injuring flavedo 1 cm below the calyx was more effective at reducing FDF than injuring flavedo at the equator or the blossom‐end of mature fruit. Injuring the calyx or peduncle of mature fruit, or injuring three leaves closest to the mature fruit did not reduce FDF. Immature fruitlets either did not abscise or underwent low rates of abscission in response to mechanical wounding, depending on age. Inhibiting ethylene binding in wounded mature fruit with 1‐methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP) increased ethylene evolution compared with wounded fruit alone, but the reduction in FDF was similar. When an ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor (aminoethoxyvinylglycine, AVG) was used, reduction in FDF of wounded mature fruit exposed to AVG was similar to that of wounded fruit alone but ethylene production was markedly reduced. Wounding mature leaf blades in the presence or absence of 1‐MCP resulted in elevated but equal ethylene evolution up to 48 h after wounding, however, no leaf drop occurred. Thereafter, ethylene evolution was higher in 1‐MCP‐treated wounded leaves. Removing up to 77% of the total mature leaf area did not cause leaf drop, nor did wounding tissue across the laminar or petiolar abscission zones. Leaflets of 5 mm length reached nearly 100% abscission after mechanical wounding, whereas wounding leaves 20 mm length resulted in 15% abscission. The data suggest that mechanical wounding of flavedo results in mature fruit abscission, and ethylene binding may not be mandatory to initiate abscission in citrus fruit. The differential response of fruit and leaves at different ages to wounding may be related to potential contribution to carbohydrate accumulation, and production and sensitivity of tissues to an abscission signal(s).     

Induction of the arginine decarboxylase ADC2 gene provides evidence for the involvement of polyamines in the wound response in Arabidopsis

Polyamines are small ubiquitous molecules that have been involved in nearly all developmental processes, including the stress response. Nevertheless, no direct evidence of a role of polyamines in the wound response has been described. We have studied the expression of genes involved in polyamine biosynthesis in response to mechanical injury. An increase in the expression of the arginine decarboxylase 2 (ADC2) gene in response to mechanical wounding and methyl jasmonate (JA) treatment in Arabidopsis was detected by using DNA microarray and RNA gel-blot analysis. No induction was observed for the ADC1 gene or other genes coding for spermidine and spermine synthases, suggesting that ADC2 is the only gene of polyamine biosynthesis involved in the wounding response mediated by JA. A transient increase in the level of free putrescine followed the increase in the mRNA level for ADC2. A decrease in the level of free spermine, coincident with the increase in putrescine after wounding, was also observed. Abscisic acid effected a strong induction on ADC2 expression and had no effect on ADC1 expression. Wound-induction of ADC2 mRNA was not prevented in the JA-insensitive coi1 mutant. The different pattern of expression of ADC2 gene in wild-type and coi1 mutant might be due to the dual regulation of ADC2 by abscisic acid and JA signaling pathways. This is the first direct evidence of a function of polyamines in the wound-response, and it opens a new aspect of polyamines in plant biology.     

Methyl jasmonate alters polyamine metabolism and induces systemic protection against powdery mildew infection in barley seedlings

Treatment of the first leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Golden Promise) seedlings with methyl jasmonate (MJ) led to small, but significant increases in levels of free putrescine and spermine 1 d later and to significant increases in levels of free putrescine, spermidine and spermine by 4 d following treatment. MJ-treated first leaves also exhibited significant increases in the amounts of soluble conjugates of putrescine and spermidine 1, 2 and 4 d after treatment. In second leaves of plants where the first leaves had been treated with MJ, no significant changes in levels of free polyamines were observed, but significant increases in levels of soluble conjugates of putrescine and spermidine were detected. These changes were accompanied by increased activities of soluble ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), soluble and particulate arginine decarboxylase (ADC), and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC), in first and second leaves following treatment of the first leaves with MJ. Activities of soluble and particulate diamine oxidase (DAO) were also higher in first and second leaves following treatment of the first leaves with MJ. Treatment of the first leaves with MJ led to a significant reduction in powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei) infection on the second leaves and also resulted in significant increases in activities of the plant defence-related enzymes, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and peroxidase.     

Arginine decarboxylase as the source of putrescine for tobacco alkaloids

The putrescine which forms a part of nicotine and other pyrrolidine alkaloids is generally assumed to arise through the action of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). However, we have previously noted that changes in the activity of arginine decarboxylase (ADC), an alternate source of putrescine, parallel changes in tissue alkaloids, while changes in ODC activity do not. This led us to undertake experiments to permit discrimination between ADC and ODC as enzymatic sources of putrescine destined for alkaloids. Two kinds of evidence presented here support a major role for ADC in the generation of putrescine going into alkaloids: (a) A specific 'suicide inhibitor' of ADC effectively inhibits the biosynthesis of nicotine and nornicotine in tobacco callus, while the analogous inhibitor of ODC is less effective, and (b) the flow of 14C from uniformly labelled arginine into nicotine is much more efficient than that from ornithine.     

Effect of wounding on chalcone synthase and pathogenesis related <Emphasis Type="Italic">PR-10</Emphasis> gene expression and content of phenolic compounds in bilberry leaves

The influence of artificial wounding on biosynthesis of flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids was studied in bilberry leaves using two separate wounding experiments. In the first experiment bilberry leaves were wounded by cutting. The expression of the first gene from flavonoid pathway, chalcone synthase (CHS) and a wound induced pathogenesis related PR-10 gene was analysed from samples collected immediately and after 3, 6, 24 h and 4 d from the wounding treatment. In the second experiment annual shoots were removed. Proanthocyanidins, flavonol glycosides and hydroxycinnamic acids were quantified in leaf samples after 0–5 d (experiment 1) and 5 weeks (experiment 2) from the treatment. In the first experiment, no change was observed in the expression of CHS whereas increase in expression of PR-10 gene was detected after 6 h of wounding treatment. In both experiments, the contents of flavonol glycosides and hydroxycinnamic acids were not influenced by the wounding treatment and the contents of proanthocyanidins were decreased.     

Polyamine catabolism in dormant embryos of the spindle tree (Euonymus europaeus L.) and in dormancy break obtained after treatment with gibberellic acid

Previously we showed that dormancy break of spindle tree embryos after gibberellic acid (GA₃) treatment was followed by an increase in arginine decarboxylase (ADC) activity (Béranger-Novat N. et al., Plant Sc. 102: 139–145, 1994). These results indicated that arginine decarboxylase pathway mediate hormone-induced growth responses in spindle tree embryos. In the present investigation we show that in GA₃-treated embryos diamine oxidase (DAO) increases immediately after putrescine content and the increase in DAO activity paralleles the accumulation of putrescine at the beginning of the culture (before the visible appearance of the radicle). In this system polyamine oxidase (PAO) increases immediately after DAO activity and follows closely the increase in spermidine content. These results demonstrate a direct correlation between the biosynthesis and oxidation of putrescine and spermidine. At every stage of development DAO and putrescine levels are lower than spermidine and PAO levels. Dormant embryos can be distinguished from GA₃-treated embryos by a complete lack of putrescine accumulation. In dormant embryos compared to GA₃-treated embryos DAO changed more or less in parallel and on the whole seemed to follow the same content and distribution, but the kinetics of the activation of DAOs were different in dormant embryos with a delay of 1.5 day for the first and 1 day for the second peak. During the first days of culture at least up to 4 days the distribution of spermidine and PAO in GA₃-treated embryos followed the same pattern observed in dormant embryos, but the levels of spermidine and PAO were greatly reduced in dormant embryos. On the other hand the kinetics of the activation of PAOs were different in dormant embryos with a delay of 1 day. The results suggest that dormant embryos are deficient in their ability to synthesize polyamines efficiently and support the view that spermidine catabolism (via PAO pool) is limiting in untreated embryos during the first days of culture.     

Jasmonic Acid is Induced in a Biphasic Manner in Response of Pea Seedlings to Wounding

The role of jasmonic acid (JA) in plant wounding response has been demonstrated. However, the source of JA in wound signaling remains unclear. In the present study, pea seedlings were used as material to investigate the systemic induction of JA and the activation of lipoxygenase (LOX)-dependent octadecanoid pathway upon wounding. The results showed that endogenous JA could induce two peaks in the wounded leaves and the stalks, while only one peak in the systemic leaves.LOX activity and its protein amount were also induced and the stimulation mainly occurred in the late phase, while one peak of induction was present after pretreatment with JA. Applied nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), an inhibitor of LOX activity, only inhibited the induction of JA in the late phase, and the resistance of pea was impaired. Furthermore, 13(S)-hydroperoxy-9(Z), 11 (E)-octadecadienoic acid (13(S)-H(P)ODE) was confirmed to be the main product of LOX throughout the experimental time. In addition, immunocytochemical analysis also revealed the occurrence of JA biosynthesis and transport upon wounding. These results demonstrated that wound-induced JA in wounded leaves resulted from Its biosynthesis and conversion from its conjugates, while in systemic leaves resulted from its transport and biosynthesis; and proved that the LOX pathway was vital to the wound-induced defense response involved in JA biosynthesis.     

Effects of the suicide inhibitors of arginine and ornithine decarboxylase activities on organogenesis, growth, free polyamine and hydroxycinnamoyl putrescine levels in leaf explants of Nicotiana xanthi N.C. Cultivated in vitro in a medium producing callus formation

We studied the effects of dl-α-difluoromethylarginine (DFMA) and dl-α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), specific, irreversible inhibitors of arginine decarboxylase (ADC) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), respectively, on organogenesis growth and titers of free polyamines and conjugated putrescines (hydroxycinnamoyl putrescines) in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv Xanthi n.c.) calli. These results suggest that ADC and ODC regulate putrescine biosynthesis during early and later stages of tobacco callus development, respectively. ADC appears active in biosynthesis of large levels of free amines (agmatine and putrescine) while ODC appears active only in biosynthesis of large levels of putrescine conjugates (hydroxycinnamoyl putrescines). DFMA inhibits the fresh and dry weight increases of tobacco calli, whereas DFMO even promoted the fresh and dry weight increases, thus supporting the view that ADC is important for cell division and callus induction. Inhibition of ODC activity by DFMO resulting in an amide deficiency after 4 weeks of culture facilates the expression of differentiated cell functions. Formation of buds is associated with a significant decrease of hydroxycinnamoyl putrescines.     

环境对杂交水稻胞质及核质互作遗传表现的影响─Ⅳ．不同N条件下不育胞质对杂种1代多胺代谢的影响

研究结果表明,杂交水稻在不适宜的Ｎ条件下,ＡＤＣ活性及其代谢产物Ｐｕｔ含量和Ｓｐｍ／Ｓｐｄ值均有显著提高,其幅度随核质组成及其与环境互作的不同而异．不育胞质对杂交水稻ＡＤＣ活性的影响呈稳定的正效应,环境并不改变不育胞质对其作用的性质,但可调节其作用强度．在适宜的生理阈值内,通过栽培措施提高上述各生理指标有利于促进不育胞质对杂交水稻产量性状的正向影响和提高杂种优势强度．而在不适宜条件下上述各生理指标则超越其生理阈值．不利于水稻本身的生长发育．此外,杂交水稻在不适宜Ｎ条件下大量积累Ｐｕｔ,往往伴随着ＩＡＡｏｓｅ和ＤＡＯ活性的提高和ＩＡＡ含量下降．