Defence responses regulated by jasmonate and delayed senescence caused by ethylene receptor mutation contribute to the tolerance of petunia to Botrytis cinerea |
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| Authors: | Hong Wang Gang Liu Chunxia Li Ann L T Powell Michael S Reid Zhen Zhang Cai‐Zhong Jiang |
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| Institution: | 1. College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, , Nanjing, 210095 China;2. Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, , Davis, CA, 95616 USA;3. Crops Pathology and Genetics Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, , Davis, CA, 95616 USA |
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| Abstract: | Ethylene and jasmonate (JA) have powerful effects when plants are challenged by pathogens. The inducible promoter‐regulated expression of the Arabidopsis ethylene receptor mutant ethylene‐insensitive1‐1 (etr1‐1) causes ethylene insensitivity in petunia. To investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in transgenic petunia responses to Botrytis cinerea related to the ethylene and JA pathways, etr1‐1‐expressing petunia plants were inoculated with Botrytis cinerea. The induced expression of etr1‐1 by a chemical inducer dexamethasone resulted in retarded senescence and reduced disease symptoms on detached leaves and flowers or intact plants. The extent of decreased disease symptoms correlated positively with etr1‐1 expression. The JA pathway, independent of the ethylene pathway, activated petunia ethylene response factor (PhERF) expression and consequent defence‐related gene expression. These results demonstrate that ethylene induced by biotic stress influences senescence, and that JA in combination with delayed senescence by etr1‐1 expression alters tolerance to pathogens. |
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