Project description:In order to identify variety-specific differences in defense response induction, Scavina 6 (Sca6) and Imperial College Selection 1 (ICS1) cacao plantlets were treated with 2mM SA or water as control and leaves of three developmental stages (A,C, E) were collected. This process was repeated 3 times yielding 32 samples, (Stage E ICS1 and Stage A Sca6 were collected only twice.) Averaging across developmental stages within each genotype, ICS1 had 436 up- and 601 down-regulated genes and Sca6 had 490 up- and 447 down-regulated genes (Benjamini-Hochberg p-value < 0.05). Analysis of gene annotations and Gene Ontology terms revealed that more PR genes and genes associated with defense response were up-regulated in ICS1, the more pathogen-susceptible genotype, while Sca6 had more genes associated with photosynthesis and energy generation.
Project description:The hydroxycinnamic acid amides (HCAAs) are a diverse group of plant specialized phenylpropanoid metabolites distributed widely in the plant kingdom and are known to be involved in tolerance to abiotic and biotic stress. The HCAA clovamide is reported in a small number of distantly related species. To explore the contribution of specialized metabolites to disease resistance in cacao (Theobroma cacao L., chocolate tree), we performed untargeted metabolomics using liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and compared the basal metabolite profiles in leaves of two cacao genotypes with contrasting levels of susceptibility to Phytophthora spp. Leaves of the tolerant genotype ‘Scavina 6’ were found to accumulate dramatically higher levels of clovamide and several other HCAAs compared to the susceptible ‘Imperial College Selection 1’ (‘ICS1’). Clovamide was the most abundant metabolite in ‘Scavina 6’ leaf extracts based on MS signal, and was up to 58-fold higher in ‘Scavina 6’ than in ‘ICS1’. In vitro assays demonstrated that clovamide inhibits growth of three pathogens of cacao in the genus Phytophthora, is a substrate for cacao polyphenol oxidase, and is a contributor to enzymatic browning. Furthermore, clovamide inhibited proteinase and pectinase in vitro, activities associated with defense in plant-pathogen interactions. Fruit epidermal peels from both genotypes contained substantial amounts of clovamide, but two sulfated HCAAs were present at high abundance exclusively in ‘Scavina 6’ suggesting a potential functional role of these compounds. The potential to breed cacao with increased HCAAs for improved agricultural performance is discussed.