Plant defense against pathogens

AbstractMicroorganisms that activate plant immune responses have attracted considerable attention as potential biocontrol agents in agriculture because they could reduce agrochemical use. However, conventional methods to screen for such microorganisms using whole plants and pathogens are generally laborious and time consuming. Here, we describe a general strategy using cultured plant cells to identify microorganisms that activate plant defense responses based on plant–microbe interactions. Microbial cells were incubated with tobacco BY-2 cells, followed by treatment with cryptogein, a proteinaceous elicitor of tobacco immune responses secreted by an oomycete. Cryptogein-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in BY-2 cells served as a marker to evaluate the potential of microorganisms to activate plant defense responses. Twenty-nine bacterial strains isolated from the interior of Brassica rapa var. perviridis plants were screened, and 8 strains that enhanced cryptogein-induced ROS production in BY-2 cells were selected. Following application of these strains to the root tip of Arabidopsis seedlings, two strains, Delftia sp. BR1R-2 and Arthrobacter sp. BR2S-6, were found to induce whole-plant resistance to bacterial pathogens (Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 and Pectobacterium carotovora subsp. carotovora NBRC 14082). Pathogen-induced expression of plant defense-related genes (PR-1, PR-5, and PDF1.2) was enhanced by the pretreatment with strain BR1R-2. This cell–cell interaction-based platform is readily applicable to large-scale screening for microorganisms that enhance plant defense responses under various environmental conditions.

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Root exposure to apple replant disease soil triggers local defense response and rhizoplane microbiome dysbiosis

FEMS Microbiology Ecology ◽

10.1093/femsec/fiab031 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alicia Balbín-Suárez ◽

Samuel Jacquiod ◽

Annmarie-Deetja Rohr ◽

Benye Liu ◽

Henryk Flachowsky ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Plant Defense ◽

Defense Response ◽

Soil Column ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Soil Microbiome ◽

Control Soil ◽

Apple Rootstocks ◽

Apple Replant Disease ◽

Replant Disease

Abstract A soil column split-root experiment was designed to investigate the ability of apple replant disease (ARD) causing agents to spread in soil. ‘M26’ apple rootstocks grew into a top layer of Control soil, followed by a barrier-free split-soil layer (Control soil/ARD soil). We observed a severely reduced root growth, concomitant with enhanced gene expression of phytoalexin biosynthetic genes and phytoalexin content in roots from ARD soil, indicating a pronounced local plant defense response. Amplicon sequencing (bacteria, archaea, fungi) revealed local shifts in diversity and composition of microorganisms in the rhizoplane of roots from ARD soil. An enrichment of OTUs affiliated to potential ARD fungal pathogens (Ilyonectria and Nectria sp.) and bacteria frequently associated with ARD (Streptomyces, Variovorax) was noted. In conclusion, our integrated study supports the idea of ARD being local and not spreading into surrounding soil, as only the roots in ARD soil were affected in terms of growth, phytoalexin biosynthetic gene expression, phytoalexin production, and altered microbiome structure. This study further reinforces the microbiological nature of ARD, being likely triggered by a disturbed soil microbiome enriched with low mobility ARD-causing agents that induce a strong plant defense and rhizoplane microbiome dysbiosis, concurring with root damage.

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