scholarly journals Molecular Characterization and Functional Analysis of Three Autophagy Genes, BxATG5, BxATG9, and BxATG16, in Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (15) ◽  
pp. 3769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong-Bin Liu ◽  
Lin Rui ◽  
Ya-Qi Feng ◽  
Xiao-Qin Wu

The pine wood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is the pathogen responsible for pine wilt disease (PWD), a devastating forest disease with a pathogenic mechanism that remains unclear. Autophagy plays a crucial role in physiological and pathological processes in eukaryotes, but its regulatory mechanism and significance in PWN are unknown. Therefore, we cloned and characterized three autophagy genes, BxATG5, BxATG9, and BxATG16, in PWN. BxATG9 and BxATG16 were efficiently silenced through RNA interference, and we found that BxATG16 positively regulated the expression of BxATG5. Silencing BxATG9 and BxATG16 severely inhibited feeding and reproduction in PWN, indicating that autophagy is essential for these processes. We then examined the expression patterns of these three autophagy genes in PWN under the stresses of α-pinene and H2O2, the main defense substances of pine trees, and during the development of PWD using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The expression levels of BxATG5, BxATG9, and BxATG16 all significantly increased after nematodes were stressed with α-pinene and H2O2 and inoculated into pine trees, suggesting that autophagy plays an important role in the defense and pathogenesis of PWN. In this study, the molecular characteristics and functions of the autophagy genes BxATG5, BxATG9, and BxATG16 in PWN were elucidated.

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 272-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albina R. Franco ◽  
Carla Santos ◽  
Mariana Roriz ◽  
Rui Rodrigues ◽  
Marta R. M. Lima ◽  
...  

Pine wilt disease, caused by the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner and Buhrer) Nickle, is originating severe infections in pine trees. The disease is detected when external symptoms appear (e.g. needle chlorosis), but trees could remain asymptomatic for long periods and serve as a long-term host. The primary goal of this study was to assess the effect of inoculation with an avirulent isolate of B. xylophilus (C14-5) on different Pinus spp. seedlings (P. sylvestris, P. nigra, P. pinea and P. pinaster). At the same time, seedlings were also inoculated with a virulent strain, HF, in order to compare the phenotypic and genomic results of the two types of inoculations. The effect of inoculation was determined in terms of expression of various Pinus genes potentially involved in the response to the disease.The results suggest that P. pinea and P. nigra are more resistant to infection by the nematode than P. sylvestris and P. pinaster. The phenotypic and genetic differences were more marked among P. pinea and P. pinaster.


Nematology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 869-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuyoshi Futai ◽  
Natsumi Kanzaki ◽  
Yuko Takeuchi

AbstractPine wilt disease causes ecological and economic damage in Japanese pine forests in spite of intensive effort to protect them from the pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. Pine trees infected with B. xylophilus emit a characteristic bouquet of volatile compounds bioactive to the vector beetle of the nematode, Monochamus alternatus, and potentially affecting symptom development inside the trees. To investigate the qualitative and quantitative properties of volatile compounds in the field, we profiled the volatile emissions in two Japanese black pine stands, one naturally suffering from pine wilt disease and the other artificially inoculated with B. xylophilus. In both pine stands, the emission of some terpenoids from the infected trees such as (−)-α-pinene, began to increase in summer, overlapping the oviposition season of the vector beetle, but peaked in the summer and autumn. These data suggest that the beetles may not necessarily depend on the tremendous quantity of volatiles alone when they search for suitable trees on which to oviposit.


Parasitology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 147 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Yongxia Li ◽  
Long Pan ◽  
Xuan Wang ◽  
Yuqian Feng ◽  
...  

AbstractPinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, a pine parasitic nematode, poses a serious threat to its host pine forests globally. When dispersal-stage larvae 4 (dauer, DL4) of B. xylophilus enters the new pine, it moults into propagative adult (dauer recovery) and reproduces quickly to kill the host pine. Here, we found pine chemical volatiles, rather than the common dauer recovery factors of nematodes (e.g. suitable temperatures, nutrient availability or density), promote B. xylophilus dauer recovery. The results showed that volatilization of chemicals in host pines could attract DL4 and promote DL4 recovery. To identify which chemicals promote this process, we determined the stimulated activity of the main volatiles of pines including six monoterpenes and two sesquiterpenes. Results showed that all the six monoterpenes promoted dauer recovery, especially β-pinene and β-myrcene, but the two sesquiterpenes have no effect on the transformation. Furthermore, β-pinene performed gradient effects on dauer recovery. We hypothesized that when DL4 infect pine trees, the pine volatiles released from the feeding wounds are used as chemical signals for DL4 transformation to adult to reproduce and rapidly kill the pines. Our study identified the B. xylophilus dauer recovery chemical signal and may contribute to preventing pine wilt disease.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai-Hua Wang ◽  
Can Yin ◽  
Jie Gao ◽  
Ran Tao ◽  
Piao-Piao Dai ◽  
...  

AbstractPine wilt disease (PWD) caused by the nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is a serious problem on pines, and there is currently no effective control strategy for this disease. Although the endoparasitic fungus Esteya vermicola showed great effectiveness in controlling pine wilt disease, the colonization patterns of the host pine tree xylem by this fungus are unknown. To investigate the colonization patterns of pine xylem by this fungus, the species Pinus koraiensis grown in a greenhouse was used as an experimental host tree. The fungal colonization of healthy and wilting pine trees by E. vermicola was quantified using PCR with a TaqMan probe, and a green fluorescence protein (GFP) transformant was used for visualization. The results reported a specific infection approach used by E. vermicola to infect B. xylophilus and specialized fungal parasitic cells in PWN infection. In addition, the inoculated blastospores of E. vermicola germinated and grew inside of healthy pine xylem, although the growth rate was slow. Moreover, E. vermicola extended into the pine xylem following spray inoculation of wounded pine seedling stems, and a significant increase in fungal quantity was observed in response to B. xylophilus invasion. An accelerated extension of E. vermicola colonization was shown in PWN-infected wilting pine trees, due to the immigration of fungal-infected PWNs. Our results provide helpful knowledge about the extension rate of this fungus in healthy and wilting PWN-susceptible pine trees in the biological control of PWD and will contribute to the development of a management method for PWD control in the field.Author summaryPine wilt disease, caused by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, has infected most pine forests in Asian and European forests and led to enormous losses of forest ecosystem and economy. Esteya vermicola is a bio-control fungus against pinewood nematode, showed excellent control efficient to pine wilt disease in both of greenhouse experiments and field tests. Although this bio-control agent was well known for the management of pine wilt disease, the infection mechanism of fungal infection and colonization of host pine tree are less understand. Here, we use GFP-tagged mutant to investigate the fungal infection to pinewood nematode; additionally, the temporal and spatial dynamics of E. vermicola colonize to pine tree were determined by the TaqMan real-time PCR quantification, as well as the response to pinewood nematode invasion. We found a specific infection approach used by E. vermicola to infect B. xylophilus and specialized fungal parasitic cells in PWN infection. In addition, the fungal germination and extension inside of pine tree xylem after inoculation were revealed. In addition, the quantity of E. vermicola increased as response to pinewood nematode invasion was reported. Our study provides two novel technologies for the visualization and detection of E. vermicola for the future investigations of fungal colonization and its parasitism against pinewood nematode, and the mechanisms of the bio-control process.


2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 346-351

The pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus Steiner & Buhrer 1934 (Nickle 1970) is the major causative agent of the pine wilt disease which has become devastating to Asian and European coniferous forests. These regions are also naturally occupied by two other native but nonpathogenic species, i.e. B. mucronatus Mamiya & Enda 1979 and B. fraudulentus Rühm 1956 which are closely related to the invasive B. xylophilus. Moreover, all these three species can colonize pine trees, and potentially be extracted from the same wood samples. Due to the cosmopolitan character and wide genetic variation within- and between existing populations the taxonomic distinction of these species based exclusively on their morphology is difficult or, almost impossible. The present quarantine regulations related to B. xylophilus require the most credible and simple methods which could allow for a possibly earliest detection and precise identification of this species in wood shipments and conifer forests stands. The main objectives of the presently reported research were to simplify the presently available procedures for possibly fast and precise detection and identification of B. xylophilus examined in the background of the remaining Bursaphelenchus species of the xylophilus group and other bacterio- and mycetophagous nematodes naturally present in the pine wood samples. The developed method is based on a direct examination of the crude nematode extract from wood samples and subsequent use of PCR technique with earlier designed specific reaction starters amplifying ITS1–28S rDNA regions.


Nematology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 581-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Jing Tian ◽  
Xiao-Qin Wu ◽  
Yang Xiang ◽  
Xin Fang ◽  
Jian-Ren Ye

Pine wilt disease (PWD) caused by the pine wood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is a destructive forest disease. Recent studies showed that bacteria associated with PWN might play important roles in PWD. In this study, the effects of endobacteria isolated from PWN on the development and virulence of PWN were evaluated. The results revealed that endobacteria isolated from high virulence PWN could partially promote the development of the nematode, while endobacteria from PWN with low virulence could inhibit the development of nematode. Both bacteria-free and non-sterilised nematodes were able to infect microcuttings of Pinus densiflora. The endobacterial isolates, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia NSBx.14 and Achromobacter xylosoxidans ssp. xylosoxidans NSBx.22, enhanced the virulence of low virulence PWN but reduced the virulence of high virulence PWN. The results suggest the pathogenicity of PWN is not affected by loss of bacteria and endobacteria might play a role in the development and virulence of PWN.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryoji Shinya ◽  
Haru Kirino ◽  
Hironobu Morisaka ◽  
Yuko Takeuchi-Kaneko ◽  
Kazuyoshi Futai ◽  
...  

Pine wilt disease, caused by the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is one of the world’s most serious tree diseases. Although the B. xylophilus whole-genome sequence and comprehensive secretome profile have been determined over the past decade, it remains unclear what molecules are critical in pine wilt disease and govern B. xylophilus virulence in host pine trees. Here, a comparative secretome analysis among four isolates of B. xylophilus with distinct virulence levels was performed to identify virulence determinants. The four candidate virulence determinants of B. xylophilus highly secreted in virulent isolates included lipase (Bx-lip1), glycoside hydrolase family 30 (Bx-GH30), and two C1A family cysteine peptidases (Bx-CAT1 and Bx-CAT2). To validate the quantitative differences in the four potential virulence determinants among virulence groups at the protein level, we used real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis to investigate these determinants at the transcript level at three time points: pre-inoculation, 3 days after inoculation (dai), and 7 dai into pine seedlings. The transcript levels of Bx-CAT1, Bx-CAT2, and Bx-GH30 were significantly higher in virulent isolates than in avirulent isolates at pre-inoculation and 3 dai. A subsequent leaf-disk assay based on transient overexpression in Nicotiana benthamiana revealed that the GH30 candidate virulent factor caused cell death in the plant. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Bx-CAT2 was involved in nutrient uptake for fungal feeding via soaking-mediated RNA interference. These findings indicate that the secreted proteins Bx-GH30 and Bx-CAT2 contribute to B. xylophilus virulence in host pine trees and may be involved in pine wilt disease.


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