Proteomic analysis of the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea during cellulose degradation

The ascomycete Botrytis cinerea is a phytopathogenic fungus infecting and causing significant yield losses in a number of crops. Moreover, in the last few years, B. cinerea has been adopted as an important model system in molecular phytopathology. In spite of these contributions, the molecular basis of the infection cycle remains unclear. Proteomic approaches have revealed significant information about the infective cycle of several pathogens, including B. cinerea. The main aim of this study is to make available a proteomic database containing a significant number of identified proteins from B. cinerea. In brief, three independent B. cinerea cultures supplemented with carboxymethylcellulose were used, and the extracted proteins were independently separated by 2‐D PAGE to obtain the proteome map from B. cinerea. Two hundred and sixty‐seven spots were selected for MALDI TOF/TOF MS analysis, resulting in 303 positive identifications, mostly representing unannotated proteins. Identified proteins were then classified into categories using the PANTHER classification system ( www.pantherdb.org ), showing the relevance of protein metabolism and modification process and oxidoreductase activity. Since cellulose is one of the major components of the plant cell wall, many of the identified proteins may have a crucial role in the pathogenicity process. In brief, this proteomic map of B. cinerea will be a useful basis for exploring the proteins involved in the infection cycle, which will in turn provide new targets for crop diagnosis and focused fungicide design.     

Characterisation of the yeast Pichia membranifaciens and its possible use in the biological control of Botrytis cinerea, causing the grey mould disease of grapevine

Pichia membranifaciens strain FY-101, isolated from grape skins, was found to be antagonistic to Botrytis cinerea, the causal organism of the grey mould disease of the grapevine. When grown together on solid as well as liquid media, the yeast brings about the inhibition of this parasitic fungus, coagulation and leakage of its cytoplasm, and suppression of its ability to produce the characteristic grey mould symptoms on the grapevine plantlets. In vitro experiments confirm that this yeast can be used as a biological control organism against B. cinerea. An account of the molecular characterisation of P. membranifaciens (complete sequence of the ITS region of its ribosomal DNA, GenBank accession No. AF 270935), as well as the interaction between B. cinerea and the yeast, are given here.     

Incidence, Aggressiveness and In Planta Interactions of Botrytis cinerea and other Filamentous Fungi Quiescent in Grape Berries and Dormant Buds in Central Washington State

Recovery of quiescent filamentous fungi from non‐symptomatic grape berries and dormant buds demonstrated dominance of Alternaria, Aureobasidium, Cladosporium, Ulocladium and other dematiaceous hyphomycetes. Up to 78% of berries contained fungi prior to harvest. Botrytis cinerea was recovered from 0.2 to 0.5% of surface‐disinfested berries just subsequent to fruit set, and 1.6–4.8% of surface‐disinfested, over‐wintered dormant buds. In laboratory inoculations of mature grape berries with strains of Alternaria, Aureobasidium, Cladosporium, Ulocladium and Botrytis, only the latter was aggressive in rotting berry fruits. Inoculations with B. cinerea alone and in combination with strains of Alternaria, Aureobasidium, Cladosporium and Ulocladium recovered from grape demonstrated that prior occupation of wound sites by the latter fungi resulted in reduced lesion size compared to inoculation with B. cinerea alone.     

灰葡萄孢分生孢子产生相关基因的克隆及功能分析

[目的]克隆灰葡萄孢分生孢子产生相关基因,并研究其功能,为进一步研究灰葡萄孢分生孢子产生机理和灰葡萄孢侵染及致病机理奠定基础.[方法]通过筛选灰葡萄孢ATMT突变体库,获得一株不能产生分生孢子的突变菌株BCt78,采用PCR和Southern Blotting技术,对突变菌株BCt78进行分子鉴定.利用TAIL-PCR技术获得T-DNA插入位点的侧翼序列;将所获得侧翼序列与灰葡萄孢基因组数据库中的已知基因序列进行BLAST分析,推测出T-DNA的插入位点;通过PCR进一步验证T-DNA的插入位点,利用RT-PCR技术确定突变基因;最后对突变菌株的菌落形态、生长速度、胞壁降解酶活力、粗毒素的生物活性、对番茄叶片的致病能力及部分致病相关基因的表达情况进行研究.[结果]TAIL-PCR结果证实T-DNA插入到灰葡萄孢BCIG 12707.1基因的ATG起始密码子区;RT-PCR结果证实突变基因为BCIG_12707.1,该基因DNA全长为135 bp,编码一个44个氨基酸的假定蛋白(Hypothetical protein).突变菌株在PDA培养基上菌落呈灰白色,生长速度减慢,不能产生分生孢子及菌核;对番茄叶片的致病性增强,且胞壁降解酶(PG、PMG和Cx)活力增强;突变菌株中参与细胞壁降解的角质酶基因cutA和多聚半乳糖醛酸酶基因Bepg1,信号转导途径基因(PKA1、PKA2、Bac、Bmp3),产毒素基因BcBOT2(Sesquiterpene synthase),漆酶基因Lac1,跨膜蛋白基因Btp1表达都增强.[结论]BC1G_ 12707.1基因在灰葡萄孢分生孢子产生、菌核形成及致病力等方面起重要作用.     

Real-time RT-PCR expression analysis of chitinase and endoglucanase genes in the three-way interaction between the biocontrol strain Clonostachys rosea IK726, Botrytis cinerea and strawberry

Clonostachys rosea is a well-known biocontrol agent against Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of gray mold in strawberry. The activity of cell wall-degrading enzymes might play a significant role for successful biocontrol by C. rosea. The expression pattern of four chitinases, and two endoglucanase genes from C. rosea strain IK726 was analyzed using real-time RT-PCR in vitro and in strawberry leaves during interaction with B. cinerea. Specific primers were designed for beta-tubulin genes from C. rosea and B. cinerea, respectively, and a gene encoding a DNA-binding protein (DBP) from strawberry, allowing in situ activity assessment of each fungus in vitro and during their interaction on strawberry leaves. Growth of B. cinerea was inhibited in all pathogen-antagonist interactions while the activity of IK726 was slightly increased. In all in vitro interactions, four of the six genes were upregulated while no change in expression of two endochitinases was measured. In strawberry leaves, the chitinase genes were upregulated 2-12-fold, except one of the endochitinases, whereas no change in expression of the two endoglucanases was measured. The results suggest that three out of four chitinase genes of IK726 are involved in biocontrol on leaves. This is the first example of monitoring of expression of chitinolytic genes in interactions between biocontrol agents and pathogens in plant material.     

Development of an apparatus and protocol for the efficient isolation of bacteria and yeasts that attach to Botrytis cinerea germlings

An apparatus and protocol for the efficient and consistent isolation of bacteria and yeasts with the ability to attach to germlings of Botrytis cinerea is described. The study focused on minimising microbial contamination by bacteria or yeasts which do not attach to the pathogen B. cinerea but which interact with materials used in the equipment and would otherwise be isolated along with target microbes. After development, the assay reduced the contamination rate to 1–2 cells per 100 added and this was found to be a satisfactory level for the selection of microbial attachers to fungal hyphae. One or more phenotypes of microbes that adhered to B. cinerea germlings were found in 97% of the 70 samples collected from phylloplane washings and processed using this assay.     

Sympatric genetic differentiation of a generalist pathogenic fungus, Botrytis cinerea, on two different host plants, grapevine and bramble

Prime candidates for sympatric ecological divergence include parasites that differentiate via host shifts, because different host species exert strong disruptive selection and because both hosts and parasites are continually co-evolving. Sympatric divergence may be fostered even more strongly in phytopathogenic fungi, in particular those where sex must occur on the host, which allows adaptation alone to restrict gene flow between populations developing on different hosts. We sampled populations of Botrytis cinerea, a generalist ascomycete fungus, on sympatric grapes and brambles in six regions in France. Microsatellite data were analyzed using standard population genetics, a population graph analysis and a Bayesian approach. In addition to confirming that B. cinerea reproduces sexually, our results showed that the fungal populations on the two hosts were significantly differentiated, indicating restricted gene flow, even in sympatry. In contrast, only weak geographical differentiation could be detected. These results support the possibility of sympatric divergence associated with host use in generalist parasites.     

Overexpressing the N-terminus of CATALASE2 enhances plant jasmonic acid biosynthesis and resistance to necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea B05.10

Salicylic acid (SA) acts antagonistically to jasmonic acid (JA) in plant immunity. We previously reported that CATALASE2 (CAT2) promotes JA-biosynthetic acyl-CoA oxidase (ACX) activity to enhance plant resistance to necrotrophic Botrytis cinerea, and SA represses JA biosynthesis through inhibiting CAT2 activity, while the underlying mechanism remains to be further elucidated. Here, we report that the truncated CAT2 N-terminus (CAT2-N) interacts with and promotes ACX2/3, and CAT2-N-overexpressing plants have increased JA accumulation and enhanced resistance to B. cinerea B05.10, but compromised antagonism of SA on JA. Catalase inhibitor treatment or mutating CAT2 active amino acids abolished CAT2 H₂O₂-decomposing activity but did not affect its promotion of ACX2/3 activity via interaction. CAT2-N, a truncated protein with no catalase activity, interacted with and promoted ACX2/3. Overexpressing CAT2-N in Arabidopsis plants resulted in increased ACX activity, higher JA accumulation, and stronger resistance to B. cinerea B05.10 infection. Additionally, SA dramatically repressed JA biosynthesis and resistance to B. cinerea in the wild type but not in the CAT2-N-overexpressing plants. Together, our study reveals that CAT2-N can be utilized as an accelerator for JA biosynthesis during plant resistance to B. cinerea B05.10, and this truncated protein partly relieves SA repression of JA biosynthesis in plant defence responses.     

A novel Botrytis cinerea-specific gene BcHBF1 enhances virulence of the grey mould fungus via promoting host penetration and invasive hyphal development

Botrytis cinerea is the causative agent of grey mould on over 1000 plant species and annually causes enormous economic losses worldwide. However, the fungal factors that mediate pathogenesis of the pathogen remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that a novel B. cinerea-specific pathogenicity-associated factor BcHBF1 (h yphal b ranching-related f actor 1), identified from virulence-attenuated mutant M8008 from a B. cinerea T-DNA insertion mutant library, plays an important role in hyphal branching, infection structure formation, sclerotial formation and full virulence of the pathogen. Deletion of BcHBF1 in B. cinerea did not impair radial growth of mycelia, conidiation, conidial germination, osmotic- and oxidative-stress adaptation, as well as cell wall integrity of the ∆Bchbf1 mutant strains. However, loss of BcHBF1 impaired the capability of hyphal branching, appressorium and infection cushion formation, appressorium host penetration and virulence of the pathogen. Moreover, disruption of BcHBF1 altered conidial morphology and dramatically impaired sclerotial formation of the mutant strains. Complementation of BcHBF1 completely rescued all the phenotypic defects of the ∆Bchbf1 mutants. During young hyphal branching, host penetration and early invasive growth of the pathogen, BcHBF1 expression was up-regulated, suggesting that BcHBF1 is required for these processes. Our findings provide novel insights into the fungal factor mediating pathogenesis of the grey mould fungus via regulation of its infection structure formation, host penetration and invasive hyphal branching and growth.     

拟南芥HyPRP蛋白AZI1在转基因烟草中的亚细胞定位及其对灰葡萄孢的抗性

通过农杆菌转化法得到了整合有拟南芥AZII基因的烟草植株,进一步利用转基因烟草分析了AZI1蛋白的亚细胞定位及其对真菌病原体的抗性特征。在上下游引物5’端分别引入NcoI和SpeI酶切位点,采用高保真耐热DNA聚合酶彤Pfu从拟南芥Co1-0生态型基因组DNA扩增AZII基因的编码序列,用NcoI和Spel对扩增片段和pCAMBIA1302质粒载体进行双酶切,通过T4DNA连接酶构建产生AZII-GFP融合表达载体。用包含融合表达载体的农杆菌细胞转化烟草叶片,经潮霉素选择获得了完整的再生植株,并收取了T。代种子。激光共聚焦显微观察发现,AZI1蛋白主要定位于细胞表面。病原体侵染结果显示,AZI1基因能够明显提高烟草对灰葡萄孢的抗性。说明AZI1蛋白通过分泌途径被定位到细胞表面后,能够抑制真菌病原体对植物组织的侵染过程。     

Suppression of the Defence-Related Oxidative Burst in Bean Leaf Tissue and Bean Suspension Cells by the Necrotrophic Pathogen Botrytis cinerea

The interaction of two selected isolates of Botrytis cinerea with bean suspension cells and bean leaf discs was compared in relation to levels of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI). Isolate B 1.7 was arrested by a hypersensitive‐like necrosis of bean leaf tissue. According to its inability to spread and produce conidia on the bean leaf tissue it was classified as non‐aggressive. The second isolate induced a fast expanding light brownish necrosis of the leaf tissue. It was able to produce conidia on bean leaf discs and was classified as aggressive. The generation of superoxide was followed biochemically in inoculated bean cell suspensions. Both isolates induced a similar early superoxide peak approximately 18‐h post inoculation (hpi). While the non‐aggressive isolate induced a much stronger secondary superoxide burst at 33 hpi, the level of superoxide of suspension cells inoculated with the aggressive isolate was below the control level. This is the first report on the occurrence of a biphasic oxidative burst in plant cells induced by a fungal pathogen. Such a suppression of superoxide generation was also observed in bean leaf discs inoculated with the aggressive isolate. An oxidative burst‐suppressing agent was extracted from inoculated cell culture medium and determined as 2‐methyl‐succinate (2‐MS) by GC/MS analysis. The compound was detected approximately 20 hpi in the aggressive fungus–plant interaction. 2‐MS was able to suppress the hypersensitive response‐like necrosis on leaf discs as well as the second superoxide burst in suspension cells when inoculated with the non‐aggressive isolate. The early superoxide burst at 18 hpi was not affected. The results confirm the important role of enhanced production of ROI in plant resistance reactions, also for a necrotrophlike B. cinerea.     

Absence of the endo-beta-1,4-glucanases Cel1 and Cel2 reduces susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea in tomato

Cel1 and Cel2 are members of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill) endo-beta-1,4-glucanase (EGase) family that may play a role in fruit ripening and organ abscission. This work demonstrates that Cel1 protein is present in other vegetative tissues and accumulates during leaf development. We recently reported the downregulation of both the Cel1 mRNA and protein upon fungal infection, suggesting the involvement of EGases in plant-pathogen interactions. This hypothesis was confirmed by assessing the resistance to Botrytis cinerea infection of transgenic plants expressing both genes in an antisense orientation (Anti-Cel1, Anti-Cel2 and Anti-Cel1-Cel2). The Anti-Cel1-Cel2 plants showed enhanced resistance to this fungal necrotroph. Microscopical analysis of infected leaves revealed that tomato plants accumulated pathogen-inducible callose within the expanding lesion. Anti-Cel1-Cel2 plants presented a faster and enhanced callose accumulation against B. cinerea than wild-type plants. The inhibitor 2-deoxy-d-glucose, a callose synthesis inhibitor, showed a direct relationship between faster callose accumulation and enhanced resistance to B. cinerea. EGase activity appears to negatively modulate callose deposition. The absence of both EGase genes was associated with changes in the expression of the pathogen-related genes PR1 and LoxD. Interestingly, Anti-Cel1-Cel2 plants were more susceptible to Pseudomonas syringae, displaying severe disease symptoms and enhanced bacterial growth relative to wild-type plants. Analysis of the involvement of Cel1 and Cel2 in the susceptibility to B. cinerea in fruits was done with the ripening-impaired mutants Never ripe (Nr) and Ripening inhibitor (rin). The data reported in this work support the idea that enzymes involved in cell wall metabolism play a role in susceptibility to pathogens.     

Characterisation of a new species of Pythium isolated from a wheat field in northern France and its antagonism towards Botrytis cinerea causing the grey mould disease of the grapevine

A new species, Pythium bifurcatum, isolated from soil samples taken from a wheat field in Lille in northern France is described here. The oomycete occurred thrice out of 50 samples. The type specimen is F-91, which is a slow-growing saprophyte living on vegetable debris and which can be recognised by its antheridial as well as oogonial characteristics, which are different from other known species of Pythium. When grown together with Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of the grey mould disease of the grapevine, Pythium bifurcatum shows a pronounced antagonism and suppresses its growth. Morphological features of this new species, its antagonism to B. cinerea, the sequences of the ITS region of its nuclear ribosomal DNA, and its comparison with related species are discussed in this article.     

Genetic alteration of UDP‐rhamnose metabolism in Botrytis cinerea leads to the accumulation of UDP‐KDG that adversely affects development and pathogenicity

Botrytis cinerea is a model plant‐pathogenic fungus that causes grey mould and rot diseases in a wide range of agriculturally important crops. A previous study has identified two enzymes and corresponding genes (bcdh, bcer) that are involved in the biochemical transformation of uridine diphosphate (UDP)‐glucose, the major fungal wall nucleotide sugar precursor, to UDP‐rhamnose. We report here that deletion of bcdh, the first biosynthetic gene in the metabolic pathway, or of bcer, the second gene in the pathway, abolishes the production of rhamnose‐containing glycans in these mutant strains. Deletion of bcdh or double deletion of both bcdh and bcer has no apparent effect on fungal development or pathogenicity. Interestingly, deletion of the bcer gene alone adversely affects fungal development, giving rise to altered hyphal growth and morphology, as well as reduced sporulation, sclerotia production and virulence. Treatments with wall stressors suggest the alteration of cell wall integrity. Analysis of nucleotide sugars reveals the accumulation of the UDP‐rhamnose pathway intermediate UDP‐4‐keto‐6‐deoxy‐glucose (UDP‐KDG) in hyphae of the Δbcer strain. UDP‐KDG could not be detected in hyphae of the wild‐type strain, indicating fast conversion to UDP‐rhamnose by the BcEr enzyme. The correlation between high UDP‐KDG and modified cell wall and developmental defects raises the possibility that high levels of UDP‐KDG result in deleterious effects on cell wall composition, and hence on virulence. This is the first report demonstrating that the accumulation of a minor nucleotide sugar intermediate has such a profound and adverse effect on a fungus. The ability to identify molecules that inhibit Er (also known as NRS/ER) enzymes or mimic UDP‐KDG may lead to the development of new antifungal drugs.     

Characterization, induction by wounding and salicylic acid, and activity against Botrytis cinerea of chitinases and β‐1,3‐glucanases of ripening grape berries

In order to better understand the defense strategy of grape berries ( Vitis vinifera L. cv. Pinot noir) as they mature, the activities of the defense‐related proteins, chitinase (CHV, EC 3.2.1.14) and β‐1,3‐glucanase (laminarinase, EC 3.2.1.39) were first estimated in berries at different maturation stages. Chitinase levels rose proportionally to the berry reducing sugar content, an indicator of the berry ripening degree, up to values 10 times higher than the ones seen in resting grapevine leaves. This rise in activity was due to the accumulation of two isoforms, CHV 5 and CHV 11. One more chitinase isoform, CHV 12, appeared in senescent berries. Conversely, no glucanase activity could be detected in berries at any maturation stage. Accumulation of chitinases and (β‐1,3‐glucanases could be stimulated by wounding the berry peduncle. Adding salicylic acid to the wounded berries only potentiated the wounding effect on the berry chitinase activity. The most active chitinase isoform, CHV 5, was purified to homogeneity. It represented about 40% of the total extractable protein content of a ripe berry. Its molecular mass was estimated to be 31 kDa. The peptide sequencing of four of its tryptic fragments revealed strong homologies to several class IV chitinases. Finally, it was shown to inhibit the germination of conidia of Botrytis cinerea by 50% at a concentration of 7.5 µg ml⁻¹.