Increased tolerance to Phytophthora cinnamomi in offspring of ink-diseased chestnut (Castanea sativa Miller) trees

Phytophthora cinnamomi is one of the most invasive tree pathogens that devastates wild and cultivated forests. Due to its wide host range, knowledge of the infection process at the molecular level is lacking for most of its tree hosts. To expand the repertoire of studied Phytophthora–woody plant interactions and identify molecular mechanisms that can facilitate discovery of novel ways to control its spread and damaging effects, we focused on the interaction between P. cinnamomi and sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), an economically important tree for the wood processing industry. By using a combination of proteomics, metabolomics, and targeted hormonal analysis, we mapped the effects of P. cinnamomi attack on stem tissues immediately bordering the infection site and away from it. P. cinnamomi led to a massive reprogramming of the chestnut proteome and accumulation of the stress-related hormones salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA), indicating that stem inoculation can be used as an easily accessible model system to identify novel molecular players in P. cinnamomi pathogenicity.

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Dietary Supplementation with Chestnut (Castanea sativa) Reduces Abdominal Adiposity in FVB/n Mice: A Preliminary Study

Biomedicines ◽

10.3390/biomedicines8040075 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 75 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pedro Rodrigues ◽

Tiago Ferreira ◽

Elisabete Nascimento-Gonçalves ◽

Fernanda Seixas ◽

Rui Miguel Gil da Costa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adipose Tissue ◽

Castanea Sativa ◽

Control Group ◽

Standard Diet ◽

Physiological Variables ◽

Lower Serum Cholesterol ◽

Preliminary Study ◽

Castanea Sativa Miller ◽

Old Mice ◽

And Oxidative Stress

The production of chestnut (Castanea sativa Miller) is mostly concentrated in Europe. Chestnut is recognized by its high content of antioxidants and phytosterols. This work aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary chestnut consumption over physiological variables of FVB/n mice. Eighteen FVB/n male 7-month-old mice were randomly divided into three experimental groups (n = 6): 1 (control group) fed a standard diet; 2 fed a diet supplemented with 0.55% (w/w) chestnut; and 3 supplemented with 1.1% (w/w) chestnut. Body weight, water, and food intake were recorded weekly. Following 35 days of supplementation, the mice were sacrificed for the collection of biological samples. Chestnut supplementation at 1.1% reduced abdominal adipose tissue. Lower serum cholesterol was also observed in animals supplemented with chestnut. There were no significant differences concerning the incidence of histological lesions nor in biochemical markers of hepatic damage and oxidative stress. These results suggest that chestnut supplementation may contribute to regulate adipose tissue deposition.

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Stomatal conductance and root-to-shoot signalling in chestnut saplings exposed to Phytophthora cinnamomi or partial soil drying

Functional Plant Biology ◽

10.1071/fp03133 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 41 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Marion Maurel ◽

Cécile Robin ◽

Thierry Simonneau ◽

Denis Loustau ◽

Erwin Dreyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stomatal Conductance ◽

Water Potential ◽

Leaf Water Potential ◽

Potential Role ◽

Phytophthora Cinnamomi ◽

Castanea Sativa ◽

Hydraulic Conductance ◽

Leaf Water ◽

Split Root

The effects of root infection by Phytophthora cinnamomi on stomatal conductance in Castanea sativa L. saplings were investigated to determine the potential role of root-derived chemical signals. A split-root experiment was carried out, in which inoculation of the pathogen or drought was applied to the root systems in either one or both compartments. At the end of the experiment plant sap extracts were collected and their effects on stomatal conductance were determined by leaf bioassay. Inoculation or drought imposed in both compartments resulted in decreases in stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration rate, soil-to-leaf specific hydraulic conductance, leaf water potential, xylem [ABA] and root biomass, but not in the ratio of root-to-leaf mass in inoculated plants. Conversely, only gs and xylem [ABA] were affected in plants inoculated or droughted in one compartment, and no changes were detectable in leaf water potential and soil-to-leaf specific hydraulic conductance. The leaf bioassay showed that gs in chestnut was sensitive to ABA but not to Phytophthora elicitins. Stomatal conductance was reduced by some sap extracts, both from control and inoculated plants. Our results suggest the involvement of different signals, chemical and hydraulic, in regulating stomatal conductance of chestnut at different stages of stress.

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