Small talk and large impact: the importance of small RNA molecules in the fight against plant diseases.

2021 ◽  
pp. 86-93
Author(s):  
Zhen Liao ◽  
Kristian Persson Hodén ◽  
Christina Dixelius
Keyword(s):  
Small Rnas ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Plant Host ◽  
Small Talk ◽  
Rna Molecules ◽  
General Chapter ◽  
Late Blight Pathogen

Abstract This short and general chapter summarizes how plants and pathogens communicate using not only proteins for recognition and signal transduction or other metabolites but also RNA molecules where small RNAs with sizes between 21 to 40 nt are most important. These small RNAs can move between plants and a range of interacting pathogenic organisms in both directions, that is, a 'cross-kingdom' communication process. The first reports on RNA-based communications between plants and plant pathogenic fungi appeared about 10 years ago. Since that time, we have learnt much about sRNA biology in plants and their function in different parasitic organisms. However, many questions on the processes involved remain unanswered. Such information is crucial in order to sustain high crop production. Besides giving a brief background, we highlight the interactions between the potato late blight pathogen and its plant host potato.

Small talk and large impact: the importance of small RNA molecules in the fight against plant diseases.

2021 ◽  
pp. 86-93
Author(s):  
Zhen Liao ◽  
Kristian Persson Hodén ◽  
Christina Dixelius
Keyword(s):  
Small Rnas ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Plant Host ◽  
Small Talk ◽  
Rna Molecules ◽  
General Chapter ◽  
Late Blight Pathogen

Abstract This short and general chapter summarizes how plants and pathogens communicate using not only proteins for recognition and signal transduction or other metabolites but also RNA molecules where small RNAs with sizes between 21 to 40 nt are most important. These small RNAs can move between plants and a range of interacting pathogenic organisms in both directions, that is, a 'cross-kingdom' communication process. The first reports on RNA-based communications between plants and plant pathogenic fungi appeared about 10 years ago. Since that time, we have learnt much about sRNA biology in plants and their function in different parasitic organisms. However, many questions on the processes involved remain unanswered. Such information is crucial in order to sustain high crop production. Besides giving a brief background, we highlight the interactions between the potato late blight pathogen and its plant host potato.

scholarly journals Viroids: unusual small pathogenic RNAs.

2004 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 587-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Góra-Sochacka
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Structure ◽  
Hammerhead Ribozyme ◽  
Direct Interaction ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Plant Host ◽  
Rolling Circle ◽  
Rna Molecules ◽  
Viroid Replication ◽  
Plant Genes ◽  
Rolling Circle Mechanism

Viroids are small (about 300 nucleotides), single-stranded, circular, non-encapsidated pathogenic RNA molecules. They do not code for proteins and thus depend on plant host enzymes for their replication and other functions. They induce plant diseases by direct interaction with host factors but the mechanism of pathogenicity is still unknown. They can alter the expression of selected plant genes important for growth and development. Viroids belong to two families, the Avsunviroidae and the Pospiviroidae. Viroids of the Avsunviroidae family adopt a branched or quasi rod-like secondary structure in their native state. Members of the Pospiviroidae family adopt a rod-like secondary structure. In such native structures five structural/functional domains have been identified: central (C), pathogenicity, variable and two terminal domains. The central conserved region (CCR) within the C domain characterizes viroids of the Pospiviroidae. Specific secondary structures of this region play an important role in viroid replication and processing. Viroids of the Avsunviroidae family lack a CCR but possess self-cleaving properties by forming hammerhead ribozyme structures; they accumulate and replicate in chloroplasts, whereas members of the Pospiviroidae family have a nuclear localization. Viroid replication occurs via a rolling circle mechanism using either a symmetric or asymmetric pathway in three steps, RNA transcription, processing and ligation.

scholarly journals Remote homology clustering identifies lowly conserved families of effector proteins in plant-pathogenic fungi

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Darcy A. B. Jones ◽  
Paula M. Moolhuijzen ◽  
James K. Hane
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Comparison Method ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Plant Host ◽  
Homology Inference ◽  
Developing Area ◽  
Inference Methods

Plant diseases caused by fungal pathogens are typically initiated by molecular interactions between ‘effector’ molecules released by a pathogen and receptor molecules on or within the plant host cell. In many cases these effector-receptor interactions directly determine host resistance or susceptibility. The search for fungal effector proteins is a developing area in fungal-plant pathology, with more than 165 distinct confirmed fungal effector proteins in the public domain. For a small number of these, novel effectors can be rapidly discovered across multiple fungal species through the identification of known effector homologues. However, many have no detectable homology by standard sequence-based search methods. This study employs a novel comparison method (RemEff) that is capable of identifying protein families with greater sensitivity than traditional homology-inference methods, leveraging a growing pool of confirmed fungal effector data to enable the prediction of novel fungal effector candidates by protein family association. Resources relating to the RemEff method and data used in this study are available from https://figshare.com/projects/Effector_protein_remote_homology/87965.

scholarly journals Life style of fungi from Biotrophy to Necrotrophy and Saprotrophy

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-102
Author(s):  
Nishar Akhtar ◽  
◽  
Shahina Perween Shahina Perween2 ◽  
Abdul Ansari ◽  
Md Ahmad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Host Cell ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Cell Wall Degrading Enzymes ◽  
Plant Host ◽  
Life Styles ◽  
The World ◽  
Host Defense Mechanism

Plant pathogenic fungi causes’ economic menace to crop production throughout the world. On the basis of their life styles they may be classified as biotrophs, hemibiotrophs and necrotrophs. For biotrophs it is mandatory to thrive on living host cell and tissues and often found to secrete a little amount of cell wall degrading enzymes and certain effector molecules for suppressing plant host defense mechanism. Necrotrophs survive on dead host cell and tissues which are killed by them before or during infection. Hemibiotrophs in their early stage of life behave as biotrophs and become necrotrophs on later. This article represents the evolution of biotrophs, interaction of biotrophs, hemibiotrophs and necrotrophs with their host plant and continuum of life styles from biotrophy, through to necrotrophy and ultimately to saprotrophy.

scholarly journals Microbial Biocontrol as an Alternative to Synthetic Fungicides: Boundaries between Pre- and Postharvest Applications on Vegetables and Fruits

Fermentation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Michele Sellitto ◽  
Severino Zara ◽  
Fabio Fracchetti ◽  
Vittorio Capozzi ◽  
Tiziana Nardi
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Control Plant ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Postharvest Quality ◽  
Crucial Point ◽  
Production Chain ◽  
Vegetables And Fruits ◽  
And Storage

From a ‘farm to fork’ perspective, there are several phases in the production chain of fruits and vegetables in which undesired microbial contaminations can attack foodstuff. In managing these diseases, harvest is a crucial point for shifting the intervention criteria. While in preharvest, pest management consists of tailored agricultural practices, in postharvest, the contaminations are treated using specific (bio)technological approaches (physical, chemical, biological). Some issues connect the ‘pre’ and ‘post’, aligning some problems and possible solution. The colonisation of undesired microorganisms in preharvest can affect the postharvest quality, influencing crop production, yield and storage. Postharvest practices can ‘amplify’ the contamination, favouring microbial spread and provoking injures of the product, which can sustain microbial growth. In this context, microbial biocontrol is a biological strategy receiving increasing interest as sustainable innovation. Microbial-based biotools can find application both to control plant diseases and to reduce contaminations on the product, and therefore, can be considered biocontrol solutions in preharvest or in postharvest. Numerous microbial antagonists (fungi, yeasts and bacteria) can be used in the field and during storage, as reported by laboratory and industrial-scale studies. This review aims to examine the main microbial-based tools potentially representing sustainable bioprotective biotechnologies, focusing on the biotools that overtake the boundaries between pre- and postharvest applications protecting quality against microbial decay.

scholarly journals The Role of Fungi in the Cocoa Production Chain and the Challenge of Climate Change

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 202
Author(s):  
Johannes Delgado-Ospina ◽  
Junior Bernardo Molina-Hernández ◽  
Clemencia Chaves-López ◽  
Gianfranco Romanazzi ◽  
Antonello Paparella
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Production Chain ◽  
Cocoa Production

Background: The role of fungi in cocoa crops is mainly associated with plant diseases and contamination of harvest with unwanted metabolites such as mycotoxins that can reach the final consumer. However, in recent years there has been interest in discovering other existing interactions in the environment that may be beneficial, such as antagonism, commensalism, and the production of specific enzymes, among others. Scope and approach: This review summarizes the different fungi species involved in cocoa production and the cocoa supply chain. In particular, it examines the presence of fungal species during cultivation, harvest, fermentation, drying, and storage, emphasizing the factors that possibly influence their prevalence in the different stages of production and the health risks associated with the production of mycotoxins in the light of recent literature. Key findings and conclusion: Fungi associated with the cocoa production chain have many different roles. They have evolved in a varied range of ecosystems in close association with plants and various habitats, affecting nearly all the cocoa chain steps. Reports of the isolation of 60 genera of fungi were found, of which only 19 were involved in several stages. Although endophytic fungi can help control some diseases caused by pathogenic fungi, climate change, with increased rain and temperatures, together with intensified exchanges, can favour most of these fungal infections, and the presence of highly aggressive new fungal genotypes increasing the concern of mycotoxin production. For this reason, mitigation strategies need to be determined to prevent the spread of disease-causing fungi and preserve beneficial ones.

scholarly journals Agro-Nanotechnology as an Emerging Field: A Novel Sustainable Approach for Improving Plant Growth by Reducing Biotic Stress

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 2282
Author(s):  
Masudulla Khan ◽  
Azhar U. Khan ◽  
Mohd Abul Hasan ◽  
Krishna Kumar Yadav ◽  
Marina M. C. Pinto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Biotic Stress ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Plant Disease ◽  
Yield Loss ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Plant Disease Management

In the present era, the global need for food is increasing rapidly; nanomaterials are a useful tool for improving crop production and yield. The application of nanomaterials can improve plant growth parameters. Biotic stress is induced by many microbes in crops and causes disease and high yield loss. Every year, approximately 20–40% of crop yield is lost due to plant diseases caused by various pests and pathogens. Current plant disease or biotic stress management mainly relies on toxic fungicides and pesticides that are potentially harmful to the environment. Nanotechnology emerged as an alternative for the sustainable and eco-friendly management of biotic stress induced by pests and pathogens on crops. In this review article, we assess the role and impact of different nanoparticles in plant disease management, and this review explores the direction in which nanoparticles can be utilized for improving plant growth and crop yield.

scholarly journals Size and Shape-Dependent Antimicrobial Activities of Silver and Gold Nanoparticles: A Model Study as Potential Fungicides

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 2682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis J. Osonga ◽  
Ali Akgul ◽  
Idris Yazgan ◽  
Ayfer Akgul ◽  
Gaddi B. Eshun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gold Nanoparticles ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Antimicrobial Activities ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Production Plant ◽  
Silver And Gold Nanoparticles ◽  
Size And Shape ◽  
Model Study ◽  
Pathogenic Microbes ◽  
Bacteria And Fungi

Plant-based pathogenic microbes hinder the yield and quality of food production. Plant diseases have caused an increase in food costs due to crop destruction. There is a need to develop novel methods that can target and mitigate pathogenic microbes. This study focuses on investigating the effects of luteolin tetraphosphate derived silver nanoparticles (LTP-AgNPs) and gold nanoparticles (LTP-AuNPs) as a therapeutic agent on the growth and expression of plant-based bacteria and fungi. In this study, the silver and gold nanoparticles were synthesized at room temperature using luteolin tetraphosphate (LTP) as the reducing and capping agents. The synthesis of LTP-AgNPs and LTP-AuNP was characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and size distribution. The TEM images of both LTP-AgNPs and LTP-AuNPs showed different sizes and shapes (spherical, quasi-spherical, and cuboidal). The antimicrobial test was conducted using fungi: Aspergillus nidulans, Trichaptum biforme, Penicillium italicum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, while the class of bacteria employed include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aeromonas hydrophila, Escherichia coli, and Citrobacter freundii as Gram (−) bacteria, and Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus epidermidis as Gram (+) bacterium. The antifungal study demonstrated the selective size and shape-dependent capabilities in which smaller sized spherical (9 nm) and quasi-spherical (21 nm) AgNPs exhibited 100% inhibition of the tested fungi and bacteria. The LTP-AgNPs exhibited a higher antimicrobial activity than LTP-AuNPs. We have demonstrated that smaller sized AgNPs showed excellent inhibition of A. nidulans growth compared to the larger size nanoparticles. These results suggest that LTP-AuNP and LTP-AgNPs could be used to address the detection and remediation of pathogenic fungi, respectively.

scholarly journals Platforms for High-Throughput Screening and Force Measurements on Fungi and Oomycetes

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 639
Author(s):  
Yiling Sun ◽  
Ayelen Tayagui ◽  
Sarah Sale ◽  
Debolina Sarkar ◽  
Volker Nock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Antifungal Drugs ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Force Measurements ◽  
Technical Developments ◽  
Alternative Drug

Pathogenic fungi and oomycetes give rise to a significant number of animal and plant diseases. While the spread of these pathogenic microorganisms is increasing globally, emerging resistance to antifungal drugs is making associated diseases more difficult to treat. High-throughput screening (HTS) and new developments in lab-on-a-chip (LOC) platforms promise to aid the discovery of urgently required new control strategies and anti-fungal/oomycete drugs. In this review, we summarize existing HTS and emergent LOC approaches in the context of infection strategies and invasive growth exhibited by these microorganisms. To aid this, we introduce key biological aspects and review existing HTS platforms based on both conventional and LOC techniques. We then provide an in-depth discussion of more specialized LOC platforms for force measurements on hyphae and to study electro- and chemotaxis in spores, approaches which have the potential to aid the discovery of alternative drug targets on future HTS platforms. Finally, we conclude with a brief discussion of the technical developments required to improve the uptake of these platforms into the general laboratory environment.

scholarly journals Biocontrol potential; antifungal activity and plant growth promoting activities of endophytic bacteria from Raphanus sativus

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 1143-1150
Author(s):  
Lavanya J ◽  
Chanthosh S ◽  
Reshma Shrii ◽  
Viknesh V ◽  
Deepika S ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
Raphanus Sativus ◽  
Endophytic Bacteria ◽  
Effective Strain ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Plant Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Plant Growth Promoting ◽  
Growth Promoting

The study was aimed to find an alternate approach for chemicals used in agriculture to avoid microbial infections. Fungal pathogens cause different types of plant diseases and affect a majority of edible crops by destroying the tissues of the plant in a direct or indirect mechanism. So, an alternative approach led to the development of biocontrol agents using endophytic  bacteria. A total of 8 endophytic bacteria were isolated from the root, stem, and leaves of radish (Raphanus sativus). The antagonistic activity of these bacteria against the 2 isolated plant pathogenic fungi was determined in vitro. Two out of eight bacteria showed more than 50% inhibitory activity against one fungus, were further characterized using the 16s rRNA sequencing method. On the basis of the phylogenetic tree of the 16s rRNA method, the endophytic bacterial samples were identified as Tonsilliphilus suis  and Exiguobacterium aurantiacum against plant pathogenic Aspergillus flavus  isolated from Raphanus sativus, which makes them highly suitable as an alternative for chemical fertilizers to provide resistance to plant pathogenic fungi. The cell wall degrading activities such as protease activity, amylase activity, and plant growth-promoting properties such as Hydrogen cyanide (HCN), Indole acetic acid (IAA), ammonia production of these endophytic bacteria were evaluated. The results show that T. suis  is the most effective strain for radish growth development.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document