Project description:Purpose: The powdery mildew fungus, Blumeria graminis, is an obligate biotrophic pathogen of cereals and has significant impact on food security (Dean et al., 2012. Molecular Plant Pathology 13 (4): 414-430. DOI: 10.1111/j.1364-3703.2011.00783.x). Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh) is the causal agent of powdery mildew on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). We sought to identify small RNAs (sRNAs) from both barley and Bgh that regulate gene expression both within species and cross-kingdom.
Project description:Purpose: The powdery mildew fungus, Blumeria graminis, is an obligate biotrophic pathogen of cereals and has significant impact on food security (Dean et al., 2012. Molecular Plant Pathology 13 (4): 414-430. DOI: 10.1111/j.1364-3703.2011.00783.x). Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh) is the causal agent of powdery mildew on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). We sought to discover novel transcripts expressed following barley infection with blumeria.
Project description:Arabidopsis thaliana genes MLO2 (Mildew resistance locus-O 2), MLO6 and MLO12 exhibit unequal genetic redundancy with respect to the modulation of defense responses against powdery mildew fungi and the control of developmental phenotypes such as premature leaf decay. We show that early chlorosis and necrosis of rosette leaves in mlo2 mlo6 mlo12 mutants reflects an authentic but untimely leaf senescence program. Comparative transcriptional profiling revealed that transcripts of several genes encoding tryptophan/indole biosynthetic enzymes hyper-accumulate during vegetative development in the mlo2 mlo6 mlo12 mutant. Elevated expression levels of these genes correlate with altered steady-state levels of several indolic metabolites, including the phytoalexin camalexin and indolic glucosinolates, during development in the mlo2 single and the mlo2 mlo6 mlo12 triple mutant. Results of genetic epistasis analysis suggest a decisive role for indolic metabolites in mlo2-conditioned antifungal defense against both biotrophic powdery mildews and a camalexin-sensitive strain of the necrotrophic fungus, Botrytis cinerea. The wound- and pathogen-responsive callose synthase Powdery mildew resistance 4/Glucan-synthase-like 5 (PMR4/GSL5) was found to be responsible for the spontaneous callose deposits in mlo2 mutant plants but dispensable for mlo2-conditioned penetration resistance. Our data strengthen the notion that powdery mildew resistance of mlo2 genotypes is based on the same defense execution machinery as innate antifungal immune responses that restrict invasion of non-adapted fungal pathogens.
Project description:Purpose: The powdery mildew fungus, Blumeria graminis, is an obligate biotrophic pathogen of cereals and has significant impact on food security (Dean et al., 2012). B. graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh) is the causal agent of powdery mildew on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). We sought to address the temporal regulation of membrane trafficking associated gene expression in barley-powdery mildew interactions. We created an isogenic panel of immune signaling mutants to address three main questions: (i) which Blumeria secreted proteins are differentially regulated in response to different compromised genotypes, (ii) which barley membrane trafficking genes are altered in response to pathogen attack, and (iii) how are these genes interacting across genotypes and infection stages.
Project description:We performed RNA-sequencing of Golovinomyces orontii-infected Arabidopsis leaves of wild type, the double or triple mutants of AtMLKLs to examine the role of AtMLKLs in response to the powdery mildew fungus.
Project description:The powdery mildew fungus, Blumeria graminis, is an obligate biotrophic pathogen of cereals and has significant impact on food security (Dean et al., 2012. Molecular Plant Pathology 13 (4): 414-430. DOI: 10.1111/j.1364-3703.2011.00783.x). Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh) is the causal agent of powdery mildew on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). We sought to identify small RNA-derived transcript cleavage sites from both barley and Bgh that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level both within species and cross-kingdom.
Project description:Arabidopsis thaliana genes MLO2 (Mildew resistance locus-O 2), MLO6 and MLO12 exhibit unequal genetic redundancy with respect to the modulation of defense responses against powdery mildew fungi and the control of developmental phenotypes such as premature leaf decay. We show that early chlorosis and necrosis of rosette leaves in mlo2 mlo6 mlo12 mutants reflects an authentic but untimely leaf senescence program. Comparative transcriptional profiling revealed that transcripts of several genes encoding tryptophan/indole biosynthetic enzymes hyper-accumulate during vegetative development in the mlo2 mlo6 mlo12 mutant. Elevated expression levels of these genes correlate with altered steady-state levels of several indolic metabolites, including the phytoalexin camalexin and indolic glucosinolates, during development in the mlo2 single and the mlo2 mlo6 mlo12 triple mutant. Results of genetic epistasis analysis suggest a decisive role for indolic metabolites in mlo2-conditioned antifungal defense against both biotrophic powdery mildews and a camalexin-sensitive strain of the necrotrophic fungus, Botrytis cinerea. The wound- and pathogen-responsive callose synthase Powdery mildew resistance 4/Glucan-synthase-like 5 (PMR4/GSL5) was found to be responsible for the spontaneous callose deposits in mlo2 mutant plants but dispensable for mlo2-conditioned penetration resistance. Our data strengthen the notion that powdery mildew resistance of mlo2 genotypes is based on the same defense execution machinery as innate antifungal immune responses that restrict invasion of non-adapted fungal pathogens. Mature rosette leaves from WT and mlo2 mlo6 mlo12 triple mutant plants were harvested at 5, 6 and 7 weeks after sowing. 6 arrays.
Project description:Powdery mildew, caused by the fungus Blumeria graminis (DC) Speer, is one of the most important foliar diseases of cereals worldwide. It is an obligate biotrophic parasite, colonising leaf epidermal cells to obtain nutrients from the plant cells without killing them. Syringolin A (sylA), a circular peptide secreted by the phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, triggers a hypersensitive cell death reaction (HR) at infection sites when sprayed onto powdery mildew infected wheat which essentially eradicates the fungus. The rational was to identify genes whose expression was specifically regulated during HR, i.e. genes that might be involved in the switch of compatibility to incompatibility.<br>Powdery mildew-infected or uninfected plants were treated with syringolin two days after infection and plant material for RNA extraction was collected at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12 hours after treatment (hat), resulting in an early (2 and 4 hat) and late pool (8 and 12 hat). Plant material that was uninfected prior to syringolin treatment was collected 8 and 12 hat (late pool of uninfected plant material), and 1 hat, respectively.
Project description:The receptor kinase FERONIA (FER) is a susceptibility factor for biotrophic powdery mildew fungal pathogens in Arabidopsis thaliana, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. FER is required for the perception of endogenous RAPID ALKALINIZATION FACTOR (RALF) peptides to control various aspects of plant growth, development and immunity. RALFs are either perceived by FER/LORELEI-LIKE GPI-ANCHORED PROTEIN (LLG) heterocomplexes to induce cellular responses or bind to LEUCINE-RICH REPEAT EXTENSIN (LRX) proteins as cell wall structural components. Combining genetics, cell biology and biochemistry, we found that FER`s endogenous RALF ligands are necessary for full colonization success of the powdery mildew species Erysiphe cruciferarum. We reveal that LLGs and LRXs are also powdery mildew susceptibility factors. We show that cell wall remodeling and apoplastic pH homeostasis, hallmark features of RALF function, support powdery mildew reproductive success. We provide data that RALF-dependent powdery mildew pathogenesis is partially independent of FER. Powdery mildew fungi likely do not produce RALF peptide mimics, suggesting their reliance on endogenous RALFs for successful host colonization. We propose that powdery mildew fungi require RALF-mediated modulation of apoplastic pH and pectin re-modelling for successful host colonization, highlighting a new susceptibility mechanism by obligate biotrophic fungi.
Project description:We used two wheat genotypes, the susceptible wheat cultivar ‘8866 ’(S) and its near isogenic line with single powdery mildew resistance gene ‘pm30’ (R), to investigate gene expression changes in response to powdery mildew infection by using Wheat Genome Array