Nitrogen availability and susceptibility of tomato leaves to Botrytis cinerea

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of nitrogen availability on susceptibility of tomato leaves to the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. Plants with varying nitrogen availability were grown by adding N daily in exponentially increasing amounts to a nutrient solution at different rates. Leaves of plants grown at low nitrogen availability had a high leaf C/N ratio (21 g g^-1) and were about 2.5 times more susceptible to primary lesion formation by B. cinerea compared to plant grown at high nitrogen availability, which had a low leaf C/N ratio (11 g g^-1). Leaf C/N ratio accounted for 95% of variation in susceptibility. This relationship between C/N ratio and susceptibility persisted when plants were grown with exponential P addition and optimal N supply, and was thus independent of plant growth rate or related factors. We could not explain the effect of nitrogen availability by variation in the most obvious N-based resistance compound α-tomatine because more susceptible leaves with a high C/N ratio contained more α-tomatine. These leaves also contained more soluble carbohydrates. The level of soluble carbohydrates correlated positively with susceptibility, independent of the growth method. We therefore suggest that the effect of N availability on susceptibility must be explained by variation in levels of soluble carbohydrates and speculate about the role of these carbohydrates in the infection process. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

番茄灰霉病生防链霉菌筛选及鉴定

【背景】由灰葡萄孢侵染所致的番茄灰霉病是一类重要的真菌病害,生物防治具有环境友好、病原菌不易产生抗药性等特点,是果蔬灰霉病绿色防控的有效措施。【目的】筛选对番茄灰霉病具有防病作用且能促进番茄种子发芽的广谱拮抗性链霉菌,并明确该菌株种级分类地位。【方法】采用琼脂块法筛选拮抗番茄灰霉病菌的链霉菌菌株,采用对峙培养法和生长速率法检测菌株T22抑菌谱,通过产胞外酶活性检测、离体叶片防效和种子发芽试验明确该菌株的防病促生相关特性,根据形态学特征、生理生化特性和分子生物学方法对该菌株进行种类鉴定。【结果】从分离的56株放线菌中筛选到14株对番茄灰霉病菌具有拮抗效果的放线菌菌株,其中链霉菌T22对番茄灰霉病菌抑制作用最强,且具有较广抑菌谱,同时菌株T22具有产生纤维素酶和几丁质酶的能力。菌株T22无菌发酵滤液对番茄灰霉病菌、桃褐腐病菌、黄瓜枯萎病菌抑菌率分别为84.6%、81.5%和79.1%;其无菌发酵滤液原液对番茄灰霉病离体防效为55.1%;100倍稀释液处理番茄种子,胚轴、胚根和种子活力指数分别增加15.1%、29.7%和43.9%。根据形态学特征、生理生化特性和多基因聚类分析将链霉菌T22鉴定为白黑链霉菌(Streptomycesalboniger)。【结论】白黑链霉菌T22具有较强的抗真菌、产胞外酶、防病和促生活性,在番茄灰霉病生物防治中具有较好的开发应用潜力。     

Phytochrome B regulates jasmonic acid-mediated defense response against Botrytis cinerea in Arabidopsis

The phytochrome B mediated light signaling integrates with various phytohormone signalings to control plant immune response. However, it is still unclear whether phyB-mediated light signaling has an effect on the biosynthesis of jasmonate during plant defense response against Botrytis cinerea. In this study, we demonstrated that phyB-mediated light signaling has a role in this process. Initially, we confirmed that phyb plants were obviously less resistant to B. cinerea while phyB overexpressing plants showed significantly enhanced resistance. We also found that the expression of numerous JA biosynthesis genes was promoted upon treatment with red or white light when compared to that of darkness, and that this promotion is dependent on phyB. Consistent with the gene expression results, phyb plants accumulated reduced pool of JA-Ile, indicating that phyB-mediated light signaling indeed increased JA biosynthesis. Further genetic analysis showed that light-mediated JAZ9 degradation and phyB-enhanced resistance were dependent on the receptor COI1, and that pif1/3/4/5 (pifq) can largely rescue the severe symptom of phyb. Taken together, our study demonstrates that phyB may participate in plant defense against B. cinerea through the modulation of the biosynthesis of JA.     

Far-red light promotes Botrytis cinerea disease development in tomato leaves via jasmonate-dependent modulation of soluble sugars

Plants experience a decrease in the red:far-red light ratio (R:FR) when grown at high planting density. In addition to eliciting the shade avoidance response, low R:FR also enhances plant susceptibility to pathogens via modulation of defense hormone-mediated responses. However, other mechanisms, also affected by low R:FR, have not been considered as potential components in FR-induced susceptibility. Here, we identify FR-induced accumulation of leaf soluble sugars as a novel component of FR-induced susceptibility. We observed that phytochrome inactivation by FR or phytochrome B mutation was associated with elevated leaf glucose and fructose levels and enhanced disease severity caused by Botrytis cinerea. By experimentally manipulating internal leaf sugar levels, we found that the FR-induced susceptibility in tomato was partly sugar-dependent. Further analysis revealed that the observed sugar accumulation in supplemental FR occurred in a jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent manner, and the JA biosynthesis mutant def1 also displayed elevated soluble sugar levels, which was rescued by exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) application. We propose that the reduced JA responsiveness under low R:FR promotes disease symptoms not only via dampened induction of defense responses, but also via increased levels of soluble sugars that supports pathogen growth in tomato leaves.     

Silencing of OPR3 in tomato reveals the role of OPDA in callose deposition during the activation of defense responses against Botrytis cinerea

Cis‐(+)‐12‐oxo‐phytodienoic acid (OPDA) is likely to play signaling roles in plant defense that do not depend on its further conversion to the phytohormone jasmonic acid. To elucidate the role of OPDA in Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) plant defense, we have silenced the 12‐oxophytodienoate reductase 3 (OPR3) gene. Two independent transgenic tomato lines (SiOPR3‐1 and SiOPR3‐2) showed significantly reduced OPR3 expression upon infection with the necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea. Moreover, SiOPR3 plants are more susceptible to this pathogen, and this susceptibility is accompanied by a significant decrease in OPDA levels and by the production of JA‐Ile being almost abolished. OPR3 silencing also leads to a major reduction in the expression of other genes of the jasmonic acid (JA) synthesis and signaling pathways after infection. These results confirm that in tomato plants, as in Arabidopsis, OPR3 determines OPDA availability for JA biosynthesis. In addition, we show that an intact JA biosynthetic pathway is required for proper callose deposition, as its pathogen‐induced accumulation is reduced in SiOPR3 plants. Interestingly, OPDA, but not JA, treatment restored basal resistance to B. cinerea and induced callose deposition in SiOPR3‐1 and SiOPR3‐2 transgenic plants. These results provide clear evidence that OPDA by itself plays a major role in the basal defense of tomato plants against this necrotrophic pathogen.     

The effect of Botrytis cinerea infection on the antioxidant profile of mitochondria from tomato leaves

Infection of tomato leaves with the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea resulted in substantial changes in enzymatic and non-enzymatic components of the ascorbate-glutathione cycle as well as in superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione transferase (GST), and l-galactono-gamma-lactone dehydrogenase (GLDH) activities. In the initial phase of the 5 d experiment CuZn SOD was the most rapidly induced isoform (up to 209% of control), whereas later on its activity increase was not concomitant with the constant total SOD enhancement. Starting from the second day B. cinerea infection diminished the mitochondrial antioxidant capacity by decreasing activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) as well as declining ascorbate and glutathione contents. This was accompanied by dehydroascorbate (DHA) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) accumulation that resulted in ascorbate and glutathione redox ratios decreases. The strongest redox ratio decline of 29% for ascorbate and of 34% for glutathione was found on the 3rd and 2nd days, respectively. Glutathione reductase (GR) induction (185% of control 2 d after inoculation) was insufficient to overcome the decreased antioxidant potential of glutathione. Changes in the ascorbate pool size were closely related to the activity of l-galactono-gamma-lactone dehydrogenase (GLDH). The activities of two glutathione-dependent enzymes: GSH-Px and GST were increased from day 1 to day 4. These results demonstrated that in B. cinerea-tomato interaction mitochondria could be one of the main targets for infection-induced oxidative stress.     

UVR8 mediates UV-B-induced Arabidopsis defense responses against Botrytis cinerea by controlling sinapate accumulation

Light is emerging as a central regulator of plant immune responses against herbivores and pathogens. Solar UV-B radiation plays an important role as a positive modulator of plant defense. However, since UV-B photons can interact with a wide spectrum of molecular targets in plant tissues, the mechanisms that mediate their effects on plant defense have remained elusive. Here, we show that ecologically meaningful doses of UV-B radiation increase Arabidopsis resistance to the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea and that this effect is mediated by the photoreceptor UVR8. The UV-B effect on plant resistance was conserved in mutants impaired in jasmonate (JA) signaling (jar1-1 and P35S:JAZ10.4) or metabolism of tryptophan-derived defense compounds (pen2-1, pad3-1, pen2 pad3), suggesting that neither regulation of the JA pathway nor changes in levels of indolic glucosinolates (iGS) or camalexin are involved in this response. UV-B radiation, acting through UVR8, increased the levels of flavonoids and sinapates in leaf tissue. The UV-B effect on pathogen resistance was still detectable in tt4-1, a mutant deficient in chalcone synthase and therefore impaired in the synthesis of flavonoids, but was absent in fah1-7, a mutant deficient in ferulic acid 5-hydroxylase, which is essential for sinapate biosynthesis. Collectively, these results indicate that UVR8 plays an important role in mediating the effects of UV-B radiation on pathogen resistance by controlling the expression of the sinapate biosynthetic pathway.     

Laminarin elicits defense responses in grapevine and induces protection against Botrytis cinerea and Plasmopara viticola

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is susceptible to many pathogens, such as Botrytis cinerea, Plasmopara viticola, Uncinula necator, and Eutypa lata. Phytochemicals are used intensively in vineyards to limit pathogen infections, but the appearance of pesticide-resistant pathogen strains and a desire to protect the environment require that alternative strategies be found. In the present study, the beta-1,3-glucan laminarin derived from the brown algae Laminaria digitata was shown both to be an efficient elicitor of defense responses in grapevine cells and plants and to effectively reduce B. cinerea and P. viticola development on infected grapevine plants. Defense reactions elicited by laminarin in grapevine cells include calcium influx, alkalinization of the extracellular medium, an oxidative burst, activation of two mitogen-activated protein kinases, expression of 10 defense-related genes with different kinetics and intensities, increases in chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase activities, and the production of two phytoalexins (resveratrol and epsilon-viniferin). Several of these effects were checked and confirmed in whole plants. Laminarin did not induce cell death. When applied to grapevine plants, laminarin reduced infection by B. cinerea and P. viticola by approximately 55 and 75%, respectively. Our data describing a large set of defense reactions in grapevine indicate that the activation of defense responses using elicitors could be a valuable strategy to protect plants against pathogens.     

Benomyl tolerance in isolates of Botrytis cinerea from tomato plants

Three hundred and forty-nine isolates of Botrytis cinerea were collected from tomato crops on forty-one nurseries and 173 (40/6 %) were found to be tolerant to benomyl. There was no obvious association between disease incidence and the occurrence of tolerance. In a fungicide comparison experiment on tomatoes in 1973, twenty of the sixty-four (31 %) isolates examined were benomyl tolerant, the majority of these were from benomyl sprayed plants. In 1974 in a similar experiment, 384 of the 394 (97-5 %) isolates examined were tolerant. Tolerance was monitored in two tomato experiments in relation to a spray programme in which benomyl and dichlofluanid were used in various combinations. There was no marked effect of the spray programmes on the incidence of tolerance on either site. In the experiments B. cinerea was controlled and significant increases in yield were obtained with benomyl in 1973 but not in 1974. This difference is attributed to the change in the pathogen population with a large increase in the incidence of tolerance on the experimental site in 1974.     

Differential induction of grapevine resistance and defense reactions against Botrytis cinerea by bacterial mixtures in vineyards

Previous experiments showed that seven bacteria identified as Acinetobacter lwoffii (PTA-113 and PTA-152), Bacillus subtilis (PTA-271), Pantoea agglomerans (PTA-AF1 and PTA-AF2) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (PTA-268 and PTA-CT2) induced systemic resistance in grapevine against Botrytis cinerea. Based on these findings, we investigated biocontrol capacity of different mixtures under vineyard conditions over three consecutive years. Treatments with bacterial mixtures were shown to induce systemic resistance against B. cinerea on year 2. Efficacy and duration of such a disease control seemed to be reinforced on year three without renewal of bacterial treatments. Accordingly, the effectiveness of induced resistance varied with mixture type of bacteria and was accompanied by a stimulation of chitinase and β-1,3 glucanase activities in both leaves and berries. Interestingly, treatments with mixtures containing both selected strains of P. agglomerans (PTA-AF1 + PTA-AF2) appeared as the most effective in triggering systemically the plant defense reactions and reducing the symptoms of grey mould disease.     

番茄灰霉病拮抗内生细菌的筛选、鉴定及其活性

对安徽省淮北市番茄植株根、茎、叶中内生细菌及其数量进行了调查和筛选,并测定了其抑菌活性。结果表明,番茄根、茎和叶中的内生细菌的数量分别为5.69×105、5.16×105和2.83×105CFU.g-1鲜重。根据分离部位和表型特征,从健康番茄植株体内分离到267株内生细菌,通过对峙实验,筛选到11株对番茄灰霉病菌有拮抗作用的菌株,占所分离内生细菌总数的4.12%。来自茎组织中的菌株XF136的抑菌效果最佳,抑菌带宽度达32.2mm。根据形态特征、生理生化特性、(G+C)mol%和16SrDNA序列分析,将菌株XF136鉴定为解淀粉芽孢杆菌(Bacillus amyloliquefaciens)。室内测定菌株XF136发酵滤液对灰霉病菌菌丝生长及分生孢子萌发的抑制作用,结果表明,菌株XF136发酵滤液可以抑制灰霉病菌菌丝生长和分生孢子萌发,且浓度越高,抑制能力越强;当发酵滤液浓度为20%时则完全抑制灰霉病菌菌丝生长和分生孢子萌发。盆栽防效试验结果表明,10%菌株XF136发酵滤液对番茄灰霉病防治效果与50%多菌灵600倍液相当,20%发酵滤液对番茄灰霉病的防治效果高于50%多菌灵600倍液。本研究表明,菌株XF136是防治番茄灰霉病潜在的优良生防菌株,具有良好的开发应用价值。     

Proteomic analysis of ripening tomato fruit infected by Botrytis cinerea

Botrytis cinerea, a model necrotrophic fungal pathogen that causes gray mold as it infects different organs on more than 200 plant species, is a significant contributor to postharvest rot in fresh fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes. By describing host and pathogen proteomes simultaneously in infected tissues, the plant proteins that provide resistance and allow susceptibility and the pathogen proteins that promote colonization and facilitate quiescence can be identified. This study characterizes fruit and fungal proteins solubilized in the B. cinerea-tomato interaction using shotgun proteomics. Mature green, red ripe wild type and ripening inhibited (rin) mutant tomato fruit were infected with B. cinerea B05.10, and the fruit and fungal proteomes were identified concurrently 3 days postinfection. One hundred eighty-six tomato proteins were identified in common among red ripe and red ripe-equivalent ripening inhibited (rin) mutant tomato fruit infected by B. cinerea. However, the limited infections by B. cinerea of mature green wild type fruit resulted in 25 and 33% fewer defense-related tomato proteins than in red and rin fruit, respectively. In contrast, the ripening stage of genotype of the fruit infected did not affect the secreted proteomes of B. cinerea. The composition of the collected proteins populations and the putative functions of the identified proteins argue for their role in plant-pathogen interactions.     

Functions of pipecolic acid on induced resistance against Botrytis cinerea and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 in tomato plants

Amino acid metabolic pathways are involved in the plant immune system. Pipecolic acid (Pip), a lysine-derived non-protein amino acid, acts as an important regulator of disease resistance. Here, we report the functions of Pip on tomato disease resistance. Tomato seedlings treated with 0.5 mM Pip showed increased resistance to Pst DC3000 and B. cinerea compared with the control. After pathogen infection, the expression of defence-related genes increased in plants pretreated with Pip, while reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation decreased. These data demonstrated that exogenous application of Pip induced resistance against Pst DC3000 and B. cinerea in tomatoes, possibly through the regulation of ROS accumulation and defence-related gene expression.     

番茄灰霉病拮抗内生放线菌的筛选、鉴定及其活性评价

对安徽省淮北市番茄植株根、茎、叶中内生放线菌进行了分离、筛选,并测定了其抑菌活性。结果表明:番茄根、茎和叶中的内生放线菌的数量分别为5.66×104、0.67×104和0.39×104CFU.g-1鲜重。根据分离部位和表型特征,从健康番茄植株体内分离到93株内生放线菌,通过对峙实验,筛选到7株对番茄灰霉病菌有拮抗作用的菌株,占所分离内生放线菌总数的7.5%。来自根组织中的菌株HNU-EA27的抑菌效果最佳,抑菌圈直径达28.3mm。根据形态特征、培养特征、生理生化特性、细胞壁组分和16SrDNA序列分析,将菌株HNU-EA27鉴定为毒三素链霉菌(Streptomyces toxytricini)。室内测定菌株HNU-EA27发酵滤液对灰霉病菌菌丝生长及分生孢子萌发的抑制作用,结果表明:菌株HNU-EA27发酵滤液可以抑制灰霉病菌菌丝生长和分生孢子萌发,且浓度越高,抑制能力越强;当发酵滤液浓度为30%时则完全抑制灰霉病菌菌丝生长和分生孢子萌发。盆栽防效试验结果表明:30%菌株HNU-EA27发酵滤液对番茄灰霉病的预防与治疗效果分别为80.6%和73.8%,均高于50%多菌灵可湿性粉剂600倍液。本研究表明,菌株HNU-EA27是防治番茄灰霉病潜在的优良生防菌株,具有良好的开发应用价值。     

Direct fungicidal activities of C6-aldehydes are important constituents for defense responses in Arabidopsis against Botrytis cinerea

C6-aldehydes, such as (Z)-3-hexenal, (E)-2-hexenal, and n-hexanal, are volatile compounds formed by hydroperoxide lyase (HPL) and found in most terrestrial plants. They are fungicidal and bactericidal compounds, and are also signaling compounds to induce defense responses in plants. Transgenic plants having overexpressed or suppressed HPL activity (SH or ASH, respectively) showed lower or higher susceptibility against a necrotrophic fungal pathogen, Botrytis cinerea. In this study, we examined whether the modulated susceptibility was accountable to the direct fungicidal activity or to the signaling potency of C6-aldehydes. When wild-type Arabidopsis leaves were inoculated with B. cinerea, HPL expression was upregulated, and concomitantly, the amounts of C6-aldehydes increased. Higher amounts of C6-aldehydes found in inoculated SH plants inhibited growth of B. cinerea in vitro, while lower amounts found in ASH plants caused no inhibitory effect on the fungi. Thus, it was suggested that direct fungicidal activity of C6-aldehydes accounted for the modulated susceptibility. With SH plants higher amounts of camalexin could be found, but with the ASH plants no difference from wild-type plants could be found. Surplus amounts of C6-aldehydes could induce formation of camalexin as signaling compounds; however, this was not the case with wild-type and ASH plants. Accordingly, it could be assumed that direct fungicidal activity of C6-aldehydes were prominently responsible to the defense against B. cinerea but their signaling roles could be little responsible if any.