Arabidopsis thaliana as a Model Organism to Study Plant-Pathogen Interactions

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Shachi Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽  
Plant Pathogen ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Plant Pathogen Interactions

scholarly journals A circadian oscillator in the fungus Botrytis cinerea regulates virulence when infecting Arabidopsis thaliana

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (28) ◽  
pp. 8744-8749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Montserrat A. Hevia ◽  
Paulo Canessa ◽  
Hanna Müller-Esparza ◽  
Luis F. Larrondo
Keyword(s):  
Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽  
Botrytis Cinerea ◽  
Plant Pathogen ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Circadian System ◽  
Main Role ◽  
Fungal Virulence ◽  
Virulence Potential ◽  
Plant Pathogen Interactions

The circadian clock of the plant model Arabidopsis thaliana modulates defense mechanisms impacting plant–pathogen interactions. Nevertheless, the effect of clock regulation on pathogenic traits has not been explored in detail. Moreover, molecular description of clocks in pathogenic fungi—or fungi in general other than the model ascomycete Neurospora crassa—has been neglected, leaving this type of question largely unaddressed. We sought to characterize, therefore, the circadian system of the plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea to assess if such oscillatory machinery can modulate its virulence potential. Herein, we show the existence of a functional clock in B. cinerea, which shares similar components and circuitry with the Neurospora circadian system, although we found that its core negative clock element FREQUENCY (BcFRQ1) serves additional roles, suggesting extracircadian functions for this protein. We observe that the lesions produced by this necrotrophic fungus on Arabidopsis leaves are smaller when the interaction between these two organisms occurs at dawn. Remarkably, this effect does not depend solely on the plant clock, but instead largely relies on the pathogen circadian system. Genetic disruption of the B. cinerea oscillator by mutation, overexpression of BcFRQ1, or by suppression of its rhythmicity by constant light, abrogates circadian regulation of fungal virulence. By conducting experiments with out-of-phase light:dark cycles, we confirm that indeed, it is the fungal clock that plays the main role in defining the outcome of the Arabidopsis–Botrytis interaction, providing to our knowledge the first evidence of a microbial clock modulating pathogenic traits at specific times of the day.

scholarly journals Plant SWEETs: from sugar transport to plant–pathogen interaction and more unexpected physiological roles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Breia ◽  
Artur Conde ◽  
Hélder Badim ◽  
Ana Margarida Fortes ◽  
Hernâni Gerós ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Pathogen ◽  
Sugar Transport ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Phloem Loading ◽  
Transcription Activator ◽  
Pythium Irregulare ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Opposite Behavior ◽  
Plant Pathogen Interaction ◽  
Plant Pathogen Interactions

Abstract Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transporters (SWEETs) have important roles in numerous physiological mechanisms where sugar efflux is critical, including phloem loading, nectar secretion, seed nutrient filling, among other less expected functions. They mediate low affinity and high capacity transport, and in angiosperms this family is composed by 20 paralogs on average. As SWEETs facilitate the efflux of sugars, they are highly susceptible to hijacking by pathogens, making them central players in plant–pathogen interaction. For instance, several species from the Xanthomonas genus are able to upregulate the transcription of SWEET transporters in rice (Oryza sativa), upon the secretion of transcription-activator-like effectors. Other pathogens, such as Botrytis cinerea or Erysiphe necator, are also capable of increasing SWEET expression. However, the opposite behavior has been observed in some cases, as overexpression of the tonoplast AtSWEET2 during Pythium irregulare infection restricted sugar availability to the pathogen, rendering plants more resistant. Therefore, a clear-cut role for SWEET transporters during plant–pathogen interactions has so far been difficult to define, as the metabolic signatures and their regulatory nodes, which decide the susceptibility or resistance responses, remain poorly understood. This fuels the still ongoing scientific question: what roles can SWEETs play during plant–pathogen interaction? Likewise, the roles of SWEET transporters in response to abiotic stresses are little understood. Here, in addition to their relevance in biotic stress, we also provide a small glimpse of SWEETs importance during plant abiotic stress, and briefly debate their importance in the particular case of grapevine (Vitis vinifera) due to its socioeconomic impact.

scholarly journals Visualising the ionome in resistant and susceptible plant‐pathogen interactions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.M. Brouwer ◽  
P. Lindqvist‐Reis ◽  
D. Pergament Persson ◽  
S. Marttila ◽  
L.J. Grenville‐Briggs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Pathogen ◽  
Susceptible Plant ◽  
Plant Pathogen Interactions

Advances in functional proteomics to study plant-pathogen interactions

2021 ◽  
Vol 63 ◽  
pp. 102061
Author(s):  
James M. Elmore ◽  
Brianna D. Griffin ◽  
Justin W. Walley
Keyword(s):  
Plant Pathogen ◽  
Functional Proteomics ◽  
Plant Pathogen Interactions
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