Synthesis and antifungal activity of two novel spermidine analogues

Two spermidine analogues were synthesised and examined for antifungal activity. Both compounds used as 1 mM post-inoculation sprays reduced infection of barley seedlings by the powdery mildew fungus, Erysiphe graminis f.sp. hordei, infection of broad bean seedlings by the rust fungus, Uromyces viciae-fabae, and infection of apple seedlings by the powdery mildew fungus, Podosphaera leucotricha. Since these fungal pathogens cannot be cultured axenically, the effects of the two spermidine analogues on mycelial growth in vitro, as well as preliminary investigations on polyamine biosynthesis, were undertaken using the oat stripe pathogen, Pyrenophora avenae. Although neither compound affected radial growth of the fungus on plates, both analogues reduced fungal biomass in liquid culture substantially. The two spermidine analogues, used at a concentration of 1 mM, had no significant effect on the conversion of labelled ornithine into polyamines in P. avenae.     

Antifungal activity of three spermidine conjugates

Three tri-substituted spermidines, di-p-coumaroyl-caffeoylspermidine, tri-caffeoylspermidine and tri-p-coumaroylspermidine, isolated from pollen of Quercus alba, were examined for antifungal activity. Both di-p-coumaroyl-caffeoylspermidine and tri-p-coumaroylspermidine reduced mycelial growth of the oat leaf stripe pathogen, Pyrenophora avenae and reduced powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei) infection of barley seedlings when applied as a post-inoculation treatment. When used as a pre-inoculation treatment, only di-p-coumaroyl-caffeoylspermidine reduced powdery mildew infection significantly. Growth of P. avenae in the presence of 100 microM di-p-coumaroyl-caffeoylspermidine reduced activity of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC), and led to a reduction in the incorporation of labelled ornithine into spermidine. The other two spermidine conjugates increased AdoMetDC activity and the flux label from ornithine into spermine in P. avenae significantly.     

The induction of systemic resistance in barley to powdery mildew infection using salicylates and various phenolic acids

Treatment of the first leaves of barley seedlings with either 5, 10, 15 or 20 mM salicylic acid, sodium salicylate or acetylsalicylic acid resulted in significant reductions in powdery mildew infection on the upper, second leaves. In general, the greatest reduction in mildew infection on the second leaves was obtained by spraying the first leaves with a 15 mM concentration of the compounds. Although the largest reduction in mildew infection of the upper leaves was obtained when the compounds were applied to the first leaves 1–2 days before inoculation, very substantial reductions in infection were still obtained if the first leaves were treated 12 days before inoculation. The three compounds had little direct effect on mildew infection. When ¹⁴C-salicylic acid was fed to first leaves of barley seedlings, uptake was rapid and increased with time. Within 6 h, 0.2% of the salicylic acid appeared in the second leaf and by 24 h after feeding, this had increased to 1.4% (1.1 μmol salicylic acid g^-1 fresh wt). The application of various phenolic acids to first leaves also led to reductions in mildew infection on the second leaves. In particular, treatment of the first leaves with 1 mM vanillic acid, isovanillic acid or syringic acid, reduced mildew infection of the second leaves by 81–87%.     

Fungicidal Activity of Two Spermidine Analogues

The potential use of polyamine analogues as inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis to control plant pathogenic fungi is well established. However, all of this information relates to the use of putrescine analogues and no data exist for spermidine analogues. In the present work, two spermidine analogues. N¹- and N⁸-acetylspermidine were evaluated against powdery mildew on barley. Post-inoculation treatments reduced infection by 69.7% and 51.5%. respectively. Since the barley powdery mildew fungus cannot be grown axenically. mode of action studies were undertaken using the oat leaf-stripe pathogen Pyrenophora avenae. Neither of the analogues had any effect on polyamine biosynthesis in P. avenae grown in vitro. Although the mechanism(s) by which inhibitors affect in vivo fungal growth and in vitro growth may differ, it is unlikely that the antifungal properties of the analogues are the result of a perturbation in polyamine biosynthesis.     

Antifungal activities of Bacillus thuringiensis isolates on barley and cucumber powdery mildews

Fourteen Bacillus thuringiensis isolates having both insecticidal activity and in vitro antifungal activity were selected and tested for in vivo antifungal activity against tomato late blight, wheat leaf rust, tomato gray mold, and barley powdery mildew in growth chambers. All the isolates represented more than 70% disease control efficacy against at least one of four plant diseases. Specifically, 12 isolates exhibited strong control activity against barley powdery mildew. Under glasshouse conditions, four (50-02, 52-08, 52-16, and 52- 18) of the isolates also displayed potent control efficacy against cucumber powdery mildew. To our knowledge, this is the first report of B. thuringiensis isolates that have disease control efficacy against powdery mildew of barley and cucumber as well as insecticidal activity.     

The effects of three film-forming polymers, with and without a polyamine biosynthesis inhibitor, on powdery mildew infection of barley seedlings

Powdery mildew infection of barley seedlings was significantly reduced using either pre-inoculation or post-inoculation sprays of the film-forming polymers Nu-Film P, Emerald or Vapor Gard. The greatest reduction in mildew infection was obtained with a pre-inoculation spray of the polymer Vapor Gard. Although the addition of 1 mm α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) to a 2% solution of Emerald or Vapor Gard resulted in better control of powdery mildew infection than that obtained using the polymer or DFMO alone, the reductions in infection were not significant. Reduction in mildew infection was greatest when the Vapor Gard + DFMO mixture was applied 1 day prior to inoculation with the fungus. Although substantial reduction in mildew infection was achieved using as little as 0.1 mm DFMO with 2% Vapor Gard, or reducing the polymer concentration to 1% in combination with 1 mm DFMO, best control was achieved using 2% Vapor Gard plus 1 mm DFMO.     

Endogenous Elicitor Present in Barley Seeds

Endogenous elicitor(s) present in barley seeds induce the accumulation of antifungal substances effective against powdery mildew fungi. Antifungal substances induced by the treatment with barley seeds extract coincides with the one induced by the inoculation with compatible or incompatible races of powdery mildew fungi on thin-layer chromatography analysis. The resistance induced by the treatment with barley seeds extract correlates to the accumulation of the antifungal substances in barley leaves. Furthermore, the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase was also induced by the treatment with barley seeds extract.     

Antifungal Activity of the Essential Oil of Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

The antifungal and fungicidal effects of hyssop ( Hyssopus officinalis ) oil and its individual components were studied in a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments. Mycelial growth of the plant pathogenic fungi Pyrenophora avenae and Pyricularia oryzae was completely inhibited by 0.4% hyssop oil. Volatile components diffusing from agar medium containing 0.4% hyssop oil also completely inhibited the growth of these two fungi. Various components of hyssop oil ( L -bornyl acetate, isopinocampheol and pinocamphone), used individually, reduced growth of P. avenae and, where combinations of individual components were used, any mixture containing isopinocampheol completely inhibited fungal growth. Growth of P. oryzae was less affected by individual components of the oil. Hyssop oil reduced germination of Botrytis fabae conidia and uredospores of Uromyces viciae-fabae , but in contrast to the data from in vitro experiments, its effects on pathogen infection were less clear cut. Thus, although 0.05% hyssop oil reduced rust infection of broad bean when applied 1, 2 or 3 days before, or 1 or 2 days after inoculation, its effects against barley powdery mildew and apple powdery mildew were variable. It is suggested that this variability might be the result of the volatile components of the oil diffusing away from leaf surfaces, thus reducing the concentration of active components on the leaf surface.     

ROPGAPs of Arabidopsis limit susceptibility to powdery mildew

The barley ROP GTPase HvRACB is a susceptibility factor of barley to powdery mildew caused by the biotrophic fungus Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei (Bgh). In a recent publication, we reported about a MICROTUBULE-ASSOCIATED ROP GTPASE-ACTIVATING PROTEIN 1 (HvMAGAP1) of barley. Transient-induced gene silencing or overexpression of HvMAGAP1 resulted in enhanced or reduced susceptibility to Bgh, respectively, indicating a possible HvRACB-antagonistic function of HvMAGAP1 in interaction with Bgh. HvMAGAP1 also influences the polarity of cortical microtubules in interaction with Bgh. In AtROPGAP1 and AtROPGAP4, Arabidopsis homologs of HvMAGAP1, knock-out T-DNA insertions enhanced susceptibility of Arabidopsis to the virulent powdery mildew fungus Erysiphe cruciferarum, indicating functions of ROPGAPs in pathogen interaction of monocots and dicots. Here we discuss the role of AtROPGAP1 and AtROPGAP4 in Arabidopsis pathogenesis of powdery mildew in some more detail.     

Evidence for Resistance-inducing Compounds in Conidia of Erysiphe graminis f.sp. hordei

Preparations of Erysiphe graminis f.sp. hordei conidia were spray-applied to the first leaf of barley plants which were subsequently challenge inoculated with virulent powdery mildew. The powdery mildew reducing effect of the preparations was assessed by scoring the outcome of the challenge inoculation. Homogenates of ungerminated conidia, germinated conidia, and methanol-water extracts of germinated conidia reduced the number of powdery mildew colonies. Cell wall fragments from ungerminated conidia, germinated conidia, and conidial germination fluid obtained from conidia germinated in aqueous suspension did not reduce the number of powdery mildew colonies. Microsconical analysis of the infection course following challenge inoculation indicated that the powdery mildew reducing effect is due partly to induced resistance.     

Lipopeptides, a novel protein, and volatile compounds contribute to the antifungal activity of the biocontrol agent Bacillus atrophaeus CAB-1

Bacillus atrophaeus CAB-1 displays a high inhibitory activity against various fungal pathogens and suppresses cucumber powdery mildew and tomato gray mold. We extracted and identified lipopeptides and secreted proteins and volatile compounds produced by strain CAB-1 to investigate the mechanisms involved in its biocontrol performance. In vitro assays indicated all three types of products contributed to the antagonistic activity against the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. Each of these components also effectively prevented the occurrence of the cucumber powdery mildew caused by Sphaerotheca fuliginea under greenhouse conditions. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry revealed that the major bioactive lipopeptide was fengycin A (C15–C17). We isolated the crude-secreted proteins of CAB-1 and purified a fraction with antifungal activity. This protein sequence shared a high identity with a putative phage-related pre-neck appendage protein, which has not been reported as an antifungal factor. The volatile compounds produced by CAB-1 were complex, including a range of alcohols, phenols, amines, and alkane amides. O-anisaldehyde represented one of the most abundant volatiles with the highest inhibition on the mycelial growth of B. cinerea. To our knowledge, this is the first report on profiling three types of antifungal substances in Bacilli and demonstrating their contributions to plant disease control.     

Towards Positional Isolation of Three Quantitative Trait Loci Conferring Resistance to Powdery Mildew in Two Spanish Barley Landraces

Three quantitative trait loci (QTL) conferring broad spectrum resistance to powdery mildew, caused by the fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei, were previously identified on chromosomes 7HS, 7HL and 6HL in the Spanish barley landrace-derived lines SBCC097 and SBCC145. In the present work, a genome-wide putative linear gene index of barley (Genome Zipper) and the first draft of the physical, genetic and functional sequence of the barley genome were used to go one step further in the shortening and explicit demarcation on the barley genome of these regions conferring resistance to powdery mildew as well as in the identification of candidate genes. First, a comparative analysis of the target regions to the barley Genome Zippers of chromosomes 7H and 6H allowed the development of 25 new gene-based molecular markers, which slightly better delimit the QTL intervals. These new markers provided the framework for anchoring of genetic and physical maps, figuring out the outline of the barley genome at the target regions in SBCC097 and SBCC145. The outermost flanking markers of QTLs on 7HS, 7HL and 6HL defined a physical area of 4 Mb, 3.7 Mb and 3.2 Mb, respectively. In total, 21, 10 and 16 genes on 7HS, 7HL and 6HL, respectively, could be interpreted as potential candidates to explain the resistance to powdery mildew, as they encode proteins of related functions with respect to the known pathogen defense-related processes. The majority of these were annotated as belonging to the NBS-LRR class or protein kinase family.     

Translocation of carbon in powdery mildewed barley

This paper compares translocation in healthy and powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis f. sp. hordei, race CR3) infected barley (Hordeum vulgare, variety Manchuria). The sink-like properties of the powdery mildew infection were used to determine what effect imposing a sink in the midst of normal source tissue (mature primary leaf) had on the translocation process. The pattern of translocation was determined by monitoring the movement of ¹⁴C which was photosynthetically incorporated from ¹⁴C either by the primary or second leaf. In the healthy primary leaf of barley, ¹⁴C fixed in the tip section of the blade was preferentially translocated to the root, whereas ¹⁴C fixed in the basal section was primarily translocated to the shoot. When a sporulating powdery mildew infection was present in the mid-section of the primary leaf, ¹⁴C fixed in that section or in the acropetal healthy tip section readily accumulated in the infection area. Labeled carbon fixed in the healthy basal section was translocated into the other parts of the plant with only a small fraction moving acropetally into the infected mid-section. The ¹⁴C fixed by the second leaf was translocated to the root and younger shoot with very little entering the primary leaf. The presence of the mildew infection did not alter this pattern.     

Effects of fungal infection and wounding on the expression of chitinases and β-1,3 glucanases in near-isogenic lines of barley

Chitinases (EC 3.2.1.14) and β -1.3 glucanases (EC 3.2.1.39) have been known to play a vital role in the defense of plants against fungal pathogens. The pattern of induction of these two enzymes subsequent to infection by powdery mildew was studied in 10 pairs of near-isogenic lines of barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) which possess powdery mildew resistance genes. These isogenic lines have been grotiped according to their reaction to the fungus. The induction patterns varied between the resistant and the susceptible cultivars within each group and between different groups. More tsozymcs were induced in susceptible varieties of highly resistant groups and the overall levels and the number of isozymes of chitinases and β -1.3 glucanases were lower in groups with low resistance. The effect of powdery mildew infection and mechanical wounding on the cellular localization of chitinases and β -1.3 glucanases in barley leaves has also been studied. The 31 kDa leaf chitinase, L-CH2, and trace amounts of a 25 kDa chitinase. L-CH3. were present in healthy leaves. Wounding increased the levels of L-CH3 within I ft h. Powdery mildew infection increased the levels of L-CH3 both in intercellular fluid and in intracellular extract of leaves. A /3-I.3 glucanase. GH, also increased after infection and wounding. In infected barley leaves, GL-1 was present both in intercellular space and intracellular extract. It is concluded that powdery mildew resistance genes exhibit qualitative and quantitative differences in the expression of chitinases and β -1.3 glucanases. Further, chitinases and β -1.3 glucanases appear to be a response to active infection rather than the factors responsible for disease resistance.     

Transgressive segregation for very low and high levels of basal resistance to powdery mildew in barley

Basal resistance of barley to powdery mildew is a quantitatively inherited trait that limits the growth and sporulation of barley powdery mildew pathogen by a non-hypersensitive mechanism of defense. Two experimental barley lines were developed with a very high (ErBgh) and low (EsBgh) level of basal resistance to powdery mildew by cycles of convergent crossing and phenotypic selection between the most resistant and between the most susceptible lines, respectively, from four mapping populations of barley. Phenotypic selection in convergent crossing was highly effective in producing contrasting phenotypes for basal resistance and susceptibility. In ErBgh, almost 90% of infection units failed to form a primary haustorium in the epidermal cells in association with papilla formation, but in EsBgh only 33% of infection units failed to form a primary haustorium. The contrast between ErBgh and EsBgh for successful formation of secondary and subsequent haustoria was much less obvious (69% versus 79% successful secondary haustorium formation). In an earlier investigation, we determined seven QTLs for basal resistance in the four mapping populations. Checking the peak markers of these QTLs indicated that only four out of seven QTLs were confirmed to be present in the selected resistant lines and only four QTLs for susceptibility were confirmed to be present in the selected susceptible lines. Surprisingly, none of the expected QTLs could be detected in the resistant line ErBgh. We discuss some reasons why marker aided selection might be less efficient in raising levels of basal resistance than phenotypic selection. The very resistant and susceptible lines developed here are valuable material to be used in further experiments to characterize the molecular basis of basal resistance to powdery mildew.     

Assimilatverteilung in Sommergerstensorten mit unterschiedlicher Resistenz gegenüber dem Echten Mehltau (Erysiphe graminis f. sp. hordei)

Distribution of assimilates in cultivars of spring barley with different resistance against powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis f. sp. hordei) Transport and distribution of radioactive labelled assimilates in spring barley cultivars with different degrees of resistance to powdery mildew were studied after ¹⁴CO₂-treatment of single leaves. Plants of the cultivars ‘Amsel’ (susceptible), ‘Asse’ (adult plant resistant), and ‘Rupee’ (resistant) were analyzed at the vegetative growth stage (5. leaf unfolded) and the generative growth stage (anthesis). At the vegetative growth stage the assimilate export from the mildew inoculated 5. leaf of ‘Amsel’ and ‘Rupee’ is decreased; in ‘Asse’, there is no considerable change of assimilate distribution due to infection. At the generative growth stage the assimilate export from the infected flag leaf of ‘Amsel’ is reduced when the fungus, is sporulating. In the cultivar ‘Asse’ the assimilates are bound at the infection site until the seventh day after inoculation, then the transport of assimilates to the ear is increased. In ‘Rupee’ mildew inoculation causes an enhanced assimilate transport to the ear. The changes in assimilate distribution due to mildew inoculation are discussed with respect to the different types of host-parasite-interactions and the source-sink-activities in the different cultivars.     

Effects of Mildew and Nitrogen on Grain Yield of Barley Artifically Infected in the Field

Powdery mildew was artificially introduced into field plotsof barley given two amounts of nitrogen fertilizer. In Tyraand Triumph, grain dry matter and nitrogen yield of healthyplots increased in response to nitrogen fertilizer. In mildewedplots increases in response to nitrogen did not occur in Triumph,despite low levels of mildew infection. Mildew reduced grainyield and nitrogen content at both levels of nitrogen in bothvarieties. Hordewm vulgare L., barley, Erysiphe graminis, powdery mildew, nitrogen fertilizer, grain yield     

The Barley stripe mosaic virus system used for virus-induced gene silencing in cereals differentially affects susceptibility to fungal pathogens in wheat

Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) has emerged as a vector for virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in cereals, having been used to study a number of genes involved in resistance in both wheat and barley. However, the effects of the BSMV vector on plant physiology and disease resistance in plants remains unexplored. The BSMV inoculation control vector, BSMV:GFP was shown to cause severe viral symptoms in wheat, displaying chlorosis, leaf curling and growth inhibition typical of the symptoms seen in BSMV-infected barley. These viral symptoms were accompanied by induction of genes implicated in defense against pathogens, namely PR1, PR4, PR5, PR10 and PAL. Subsequent inoculation of BSMV:GFP-infected wheat with a wheat pathotype of Magnaporthe oryzae, the blast pathogen, resulted in decreased susceptibility. Penetration of epidermal cells and subsequent multiple cell colonization by M. oryzae was significantly reduced. This increased restriction of pathogen growth observed for BSMV:GFP infections with and without the viral coat protein gene. However, prior infection with BSMV:GFP had no effect on the development of a compatible isolate of Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, the causal agent of powdery mildew.     

Gramine increase associated with rapid and transient systemic resistance in barley seedlings induced by mechanical and biological stresses.

Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is one of the intriguing issues for studying the mechanism in signal transduction system in a whole plant. We found that SAR and increase of an antifungal compound were induced rapidly and transiently in barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Goseshikoku) by mechanical and biological stresses. One of the major antifungal compounds was identified as an indole alkaloid, gramine (N,N-dimethyl-3-aminomethylindole), by mass spectrum and NMR analyses. Gramine is well known as a constitutive compound of barley, but it increased significantly in the primary and secondary leaves of barley seedlings within 12 h after pruning or inoculating with the powdery mildew fungi of barley (Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei) and wheat (B. graminis f.sp. tritici). However, in the leaf detached from unwounded seedlings or in the leaf inoculated with the barley powdery mildew fungus, gramine did not increase at all. In the water droplets contacted with barley leaves, the amount of leaked gramine increased dependently upon the time after the seedling was injured mechanically. We also found a tight correlation between gramine increase and enhancement of resistance to the barley powdery mildew fungus in barley leaves treated with an endogenous elicitor. Furthermore, such a systemic resistance was not observed in a barley cultivar Morex that lacks the biosynthetic pathway of gramine. From these results, we conclude that gramine is the excellent marker in rapid and transient systemic acquired resistance in barley.     

Dependence of the Effectiveness of Induced Resistance on Environmental Conditions

Resistance induced by microbial metabolites against powdery mildew on barley always proved to be highly effective particularly under practical conditions in field. The results obtained in the present study demonstrate that the successful induction of resistance requires a conditioning of plants by the environmental conditions acting prior to the application of the inducer. If plants were grown in the greenhouse or outdoors, the infection densities were efficiently reduced after the treatment with the inducer. In contrast to this the disease intensities were not reduced on plants grown at constant temperature, light and humidity conditions. Frequently changing temperatures and the daily courses of temperature, normally occurring in greenhouse or outdoors, were substantiated as the most important factors for a successful induction of resistance. The conditioning of the plants under these temperature conditions depended on light energy, especially in just developing leaves. The dependence of the induced resistance on the environmental conditions was proved with other host-pathogen-relationships as well as with barley and powdery mildew.