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Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens
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Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2018) | Viewed by 126112

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Hon-Ming Lam

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
2. Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Interests: climate-smart and sustainable agriculture; plant and agricultural biotechnology; genomic studies on crop–environment interaction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Jianzhong Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Chemistry and Life, Zhejiang Normal University, Zhejiang, China
Interests: defense signaling; virus-induced gene silencing; nitric oxide signaling; cell death
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pathogens could severely limit plant growth and hence pose a severe threat to crop productivity. The co-evolutionary war between plants and their pathogens has led to the development of complex signaling systems in plants, enabling them to sense the presence of both compatible and incompatible pathogens and trigger their defense systems precisely and promptly. This Special Issue explores the signal transduction pathways in plants that led to resistance against pathogens, including, but not limited to, functional analysis of qualitative and quantitation resistance genes, defense mechanisms, plant-pathogen interactions, and signal transduction crosstalk.

Prof. Dr. Hon-Ming Lam
Prof. Dr. Jianzhong Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Plant defense
  • Plant immunity
  • Plant pathogens
  • Plant-microbe interaction
  • Plant signal transduction
  • Resistance genes
  • Avirulence genes
  • Signaling crosstalk

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Published Papers (17 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

6 pages, 178 KiB  
Editorial
Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance against Pathogens
by Jian-Zhong Liu and Hon-Ming Lam
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(9), 2335; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20092335 - 11 May 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4060
Abstract
Plants are constantly exposed to a diverse group of pathogens and have evolved sophisticated immune systems to combat pathogen attacks [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

20 pages, 2574 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Proteins Involved in Chloroplast Targeting Disturbed by Rice Stripe Virus by Novel Protoplast–Chloroplast Proteomics
by Jinping Zhao, Jingjing Xu, Binghua Chen, Weijun Cui, Zhongjing Zhou, Xijiao Song, Zhuo Chen, Hongying Zheng, Lin Lin, Jiejun Peng, Yuwen Lu, Zhiping Deng, Jianping Chen and Fei Yan
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(2), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20020253 - 10 Jan 2019
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5297
Abstract
Rice stripe virus (RSV) is one of the most devastating viral pathogens in rice and can also cause the general chlorosis symptom in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. The chloroplast changes associated with chlorosis symptom suggest that RSV interrupts normal chloroplast functions. Although the change [...] Read more.
Rice stripe virus (RSV) is one of the most devastating viral pathogens in rice and can also cause the general chlorosis symptom in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. The chloroplast changes associated with chlorosis symptom suggest that RSV interrupts normal chloroplast functions. Although the change of proteins of the whole cell or inside the chloroplast in response to RSV infection have been revealed by proteomics, the mechanisms resulted in chloroplast-related symptoms and the crucial factors remain to be elucidated. RSV infection caused the malformation of chloroplast structure and a global reduction of chloroplast membrane protein complexes in N. benthamiana plants. Here, both the protoplast proteome and the chloroplast proteome were acquired simultaneously upon RSV infection, and the proteins in each fraction were analyzed. In the protoplasts, 1128 proteins were identified, among which 494 proteins presented significant changes during RSV; meanwhile, 659 proteins were identified from the chloroplasts, and 279 of these chloroplast proteins presented significant change. According to the label-free LC–MS/MS data, 66 nucleus-encoded chloroplast-related proteins (ChRPs), which only reduced in chloroplast but not in the whole protoplast, were identified, indicating that these nuclear-encoded ChRPswere not transported to chloroplasts during RSV infection. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis confirmed that RSV infection changed the biological process of protein targeting to chloroplast, where 3 crucial ChRPs (K4CSN4, K4CR23, and K4BXN9) were involved in the regulation of protein targeting into chloroplast. In addition to these 3 proteins, 41 among the 63 candidate proteins were characterized to have chloroplast transit peptides. These results indicated that RSV infection changed the biological process of protein targeting into chloroplast and the location of ChRPs through crucial protein factors, which illuminated a new layer of RSV–host interaction that might contribute to the symptom development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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20 pages, 7202 KiB  
Article
A Novel Transcription Factor CaSBP12 Gene Negatively Regulates the Defense Response against Phytophthora capsici in Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)
by Huai-Xia Zhang, Muhammad Ali, Xiao-Hui Feng, Jing-Hao Jin, Liu-Jun Huang, Abid Khan, Jing-Gang Lv, Su-Yan Gao, De-Xu Luo and Zhen-Hui Gong
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(1), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20010048 - 22 Dec 2018
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4536
Abstract
SBP-box (Squamosa-promoter binding protein) genes are a type of plant-specific transcription factor and play important roles in plant growth, signal transduction and stress response. However, little is known about the SBP-box genes in pepper (CaSBP), especially in the process of Phytophthora [...] Read more.
SBP-box (Squamosa-promoter binding protein) genes are a type of plant-specific transcription factor and play important roles in plant growth, signal transduction and stress response. However, little is known about the SBP-box genes in pepper (CaSBP), especially in the process of Phytophthora capsici infection. In this study, a novel gene (CaSBP12) was selected from the CaSBP gene family, which was isolated from the pepper genome database in our previous study. The CaSBP12 gene was located in the nucleus of the cell and its silencing in the pepper plant enhanced the defense response against Phytophthora capsici infection. After inoculation with Phytophthora capsici, the root activity of the CaSBP12-silenced plants is compared to control plants, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content is compared viceversa. Additionally, the expression of defense related genes (CaPO1, CaSAR8.2, CaBPR1, and CaDEF1) in the silenced plants were induced to different degrees and the peak of CaSAR8.2 and CaBPR1 were higher than that of CaDEF1. The CaSBP12 over-expressed Nicotiana benthamiana plants were more susceptible to Phytophthora capsici infection with higher EC (electrical conductivity) and MDA contents as compared to the wild-type. The relative expression of defense related genes (NbDEF, NbNPR1, NbPR1a, and NbPR1b) in transgenic and wild-type Nicotiana benthamiana plants were induced, especially the NbPR1a and NbPR1b. In conclusion, these results indicate that CaSBP12 gene negative regulates the defense response against Phytophthora capsici infection which suggests their potentially significant role in plant defense. To our knowledge, this is the first report on CaSBP gene which negative regulate defense response. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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23 pages, 6707 KiB  
Article
Peanut Stunt Virus and Its Satellite RNA Trigger Changes in Phosphorylation in N. benthamiana Infected Plants at the Early Stage of the Infection
by Barbara Wrzesińska, Lam Dai Vu, Kris Gevaert, Ive De Smet and Aleksandra Obrępalska-Stęplowska
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(10), 3223; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19103223 - 18 Oct 2018
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5910
Abstract
Signaling in host plants is an integral part of a successful infection by pathogenic RNA viruses. Therefore, identifying early signaling events in host plants that play an important role in establishing the infection process will help our understanding of the disease process. In [...] Read more.
Signaling in host plants is an integral part of a successful infection by pathogenic RNA viruses. Therefore, identifying early signaling events in host plants that play an important role in establishing the infection process will help our understanding of the disease process. In this context, phosphorylation constitutes one of the most important post-translational protein modifications, regulating many cellular signaling processes. In this study, we aimed to identify the processes affected by infection with Peanut stunt virus (PSV) and its satellite RNA (satRNA) in Nicotiana benthamiana at the early stage of pathogenesis. To achieve this, we performed proteome and phosphoproteome analyses on plants treated with PSV and its satRNA. The analysis of the number of differentially phosphorylated proteins showed strong down-regulation in phosphorylation in virus-treated plants (without satRNA). Moreover, proteome analysis revealed more down-regulated proteins in PSV and satRNA-treated plants, which indicated a complex dependence between proteins and their modifications. Apart from changes in photosynthesis and carbon metabolism, which are usually observed in virus-infected plants, alterations in proteins involved in RNA synthesis, transport, and turnover were observed. As a whole, this is the first community (phospho)proteome resource upon infection of N. benthamiana with a cucumovirus and its satRNA and this resource constitutes a valuable data set for future studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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15 pages, 3478 KiB  
Article
Expression of a Grape VqSTS36-Increased Resistance to Powdery Mildew and Osmotic Stress in Arabidopsis but Enhanced Susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea in Arabidopsis and Tomato
by Li Huang, Xiangjing Yin, Xiaomeng Sun, Jinhua Yang, Mohammad Zillur Rahman, Zhiping Chen and Xiping Wang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(10), 2985; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19102985 - 30 Sep 2018
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4273
Abstract
Stilbene synthase genes make a contribution to improving the tolerances of biotic and abiotic stress in plants. However, the mechanisms mediated by these STS genes remain unclear. To provide insight into the role of STS genes defense against biotic and abiotic stress, we [...] Read more.
Stilbene synthase genes make a contribution to improving the tolerances of biotic and abiotic stress in plants. However, the mechanisms mediated by these STS genes remain unclear. To provide insight into the role of STS genes defense against biotic and abiotic stress, we overexpressed VqSTS36 in Arabidopsis thaliana and tomato (Micro-Tom) via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. VqSTS36-transformed Arabidopsis lines displayed an increased resistance to powdery mildew, but both VqSTS36-transformed Arabidopsis and tomato lines showed the increased susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea. Besides, transgenic Arabidopsis lines were found to confer tolerance to salt and drought stress in seed and seedlings. When transgenic plants were treated with a different stress, qPCR assays of defense-related genes in transgenic Arabidopsis and tomato suggested that VqSTS36 played a specific role in different phytohormone-related pathways, including salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and abscisic acid signaling pathways. All of these results provided a better understanding of the mechanism behind the role of VqSTS36 in biotic and abiotic stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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15 pages, 1623 KiB  
Article
Transcriptomic Analyses of Root Restriction Effects on Phytohormone Content and Signal Transduction during Grape Berry Development and Ripening
by Feng Leng, Jinping Cao, Shiping Wang, Ling Jiang, Xian Li and Chongde Sun
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(8), 2300; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19082300 - 06 Aug 2018
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4196
Abstract
Phytohormones strongly influence growth, development and nutritional quality of agricultural products by modulating molecular and biochemical changes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of root restriction (RR) treatment on the dynamic changes of main phytohormones during the berry [...] Read more.
Phytohormones strongly influence growth, development and nutritional quality of agricultural products by modulating molecular and biochemical changes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of root restriction (RR) treatment on the dynamic changes of main phytohormones during the berry development and ripening of “Summer Black” early ripening seedless grape (Vitis vinifera × V. labrusca), and to analyze the changes in the biosynthesis and signal transduction pathways of phytohormones by transcriptomics. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS) were used to quantify the phytohormone levels, and RNA-Seq was used to analyze the transcript abundance. The results showed that 23 transcripts involved in the phytohormone biosynthesis and 34 transcripts involved in the signal transduction pathways were significantly changed by RR treatment. RR also increased abscisic acid, brassinosteroid, ethylene, jasmonic acid and salicylic acid levels, while decreasing auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellin contents. The results of the present study suggest that RR treatment can accelerate the grape ripening process, and specific candidate genes were identified for further functional analysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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14 pages, 2272 KiB  
Article
Nucleolar GTP-Binding Protein 1-2 (NOG1-2) Interacts with Jasmonate-ZIMDomain Protein 9 (JAZ9) to Regulate Stomatal Aperture during Plant Immunity
by Seonghee Lee, Clemencia M. Rojas, Sunhee Oh, Miyoung Kang, Swarup Roy Choudhury, Hee-Kyung Lee, Randy D. Allen, Sona Pandey and Kirankumar S. Mysore
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(7), 1922; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19071922 - 30 Jun 2018
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5317
Abstract
Plant defense responses at stomata and apoplast are the most important early events during plant–bacteria interactions. The key components of stomatal defense responses have not been fully characterized. A GTPase encoding gene, NOG1-2, which is required for stomatal innate immunity against bacterial [...] Read more.
Plant defense responses at stomata and apoplast are the most important early events during plant–bacteria interactions. The key components of stomatal defense responses have not been fully characterized. A GTPase encoding gene, NOG1-2, which is required for stomatal innate immunity against bacterial pathogens, was recently identified. Functional studies in Arabidopsis revealed that NOG1-2 regulates guard cell signaling in response to biotic and abiotic stimulus through jasmonic acid (JA)- and abscisic acid (ABA)-mediated pathways. Interestingly, in this study, Jasmonate-ZIM-domain protein 9 (JAZ9) was identified to interact with NOG1-2 for the regulation of stomatal closure. Upon interaction, JAZ9 reduces GTPase activity of NOG1-2. We explored the role of NOG1-2 binding with JAZ9 for COI1-mediated JA signaling and hypothesized that its function may be closely linked to MYC2 transcription factor in the regulation of the JA-signaling cascade in stomatal defense against bacterial pathogens. Our study provides valuable information on the function of a small GTPase, NOG1-2, in guard cell signaling and early plant defense in response to bacterial pathogens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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20 pages, 4142 KiB  
Article
Transcriptomics Analysis of the Chinese Pear Pathotype of Alternaria alternata Gives Insights into Novel Mechanisms of HSAF Antifungal Activities
by Feng He, Bingxin Li, Gan Ai, Alex Machio Kange, Yancun Zhao, Xiong Zhang, Yifan Jia, Daolong Dou, Fengquan Liu and Haiqun Cao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(7), 1841; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19071841 - 22 Jun 2018
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3986
Abstract
Alternaria alternata (Fries) Keissler is a lethal pear pathogen that causes leaf black spot disease of pear in Southern China. Heat-stable activity factor (HSAF) is a polycyclic tetramate macrolactam (PTM) produced by Lysobacter enzymogenes and many other microbes with a broad-spectrum antifungal activity [...] Read more.
Alternaria alternata (Fries) Keissler is a lethal pear pathogen that causes leaf black spot disease of pear in Southern China. Heat-stable activity factor (HSAF) is a polycyclic tetramate macrolactam (PTM) produced by Lysobacter enzymogenes and many other microbes with a broad-spectrum antifungal activity against many filamentous fungi. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal effect of HSAF against A. alternata and proposed its antifungal mechanism in A. alternata. We report that HSAF inhibited the mycelial growth of A. alternata in a dose-dependent manner. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that HSAF treatment resulted in an expression alteration of a wide range of genes, with 3729 genes being up-regulated, and 3640 genes being down-regulated. Furthermore, we observed that HSAF treatment disrupted multiple signaling networks and essential cellular metabolisms in A. alternata, including the AMPK signaling pathway, sphingolipid metabolism and signaling pathway, carbon metabolism and the TCA (tricarboxylic acid) cycle, cell cycle, nitrogen metabolism, cell wall synthesis and a key hub protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). These observations suggest that HSAF breaches metabolism networks and ultimately induces increased thickness of the cell wall and apoptosis in A. alternata. The improved understanding of the antifungal mechanism of HSAF against filamentous fungi will aid in the future identification of the direct interaction target of HSAF and development of HSAF as a novel bio-fungicide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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19 pages, 5352 KiB  
Article
Gene Profiling in Late Blight Resistance in Potato Genotype SD20
by Xiaohui Yang, Xiao Guo, Yu Yang, Pei Ye, Xingyao Xiong, Jun Liu, Daofeng Dong and Guangcun Li
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(6), 1728; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19061728 - 11 Jun 2018
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5752
Abstract
Late blight caused by the oomycete fungus Phytophthora infestans (Pi) is the most serious obstacle to potato (Solanum tuberosum) production in the world. A super race isolate, CN152, which was identified from Sichuan Province, China, could overcome nearly all [...] Read more.
Late blight caused by the oomycete fungus Phytophthora infestans (Pi) is the most serious obstacle to potato (Solanum tuberosum) production in the world. A super race isolate, CN152, which was identified from Sichuan Province, China, could overcome nearly all known late blight resistance genes and caused serious damage in China. The potato genotype SD20 was verified to be highly resistant to CN152; however, the molecular regulation network underlying late blight resistance pathway remains unclear in SD20. Here, we performed a time-course experiment to systematically profile the late blight resistance response genes using RNA-sequencing in SD20. We identified 3354 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which mainly encoded transcription factors and protein kinases, and also included four NBS-LRR genes. The late blight responsive genes showed time-point-specific induction/repression. Multi-signaling pathways of salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene signaling pathways involved in resistance and defense against Pi in SD20. Gene Ontology and KEGG analyses indicated that the DEGs were significantly enriched in metabolic process, protein serine/threonine kinase activity, and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Forty-three DEGs were involved in immune response, of which 19 were enriched in hypersensitive response reaction, which could play an important role in broad-spectrum resistance to Pi infection. Experimental verification confirmed the induced expression of the responsive genes in the late blight resistance signaling pathway, such as WRKY, ERF, MAPK, and NBS-LRR family genes. Our results provided valuable information for understanding late blight resistance mechanism of potato. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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18 pages, 4650 KiB  
Article
Comparative Transcriptome Profiling of Rice Near-Isogenic Line Carrying Xa23 under Infection of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae
by Rezwan Tariq, Chunlian Wang, Tengfei Qin, Feifei Xu, Yongchao Tang, Ying Gao, Zhiyuan Ji and Kaijun Zhao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(3), 717; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19030717 - 02 Mar 2018
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 6932
Abstract
Bacterial blight, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is an overwhelming disease in rice-growing regions worldwide. Our previous studies revealed that the executor R gene Xa23 confers broad-spectrum disease resistance to all naturally occurring biotypes of Xoo. In this [...] Read more.
Bacterial blight, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is an overwhelming disease in rice-growing regions worldwide. Our previous studies revealed that the executor R gene Xa23 confers broad-spectrum disease resistance to all naturally occurring biotypes of Xoo. In this study, comparative transcriptomic profiling of two near-isogenic lines (NILs), CBB23 (harboring Xa23) and JG30 (without Xa23), before and after infection of the Xoo strain, PXO99A, was done by RNA sequencing, to identify genes associated with the resistance. After high throughput sequencing, 1645 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between CBB23 and JG30 at different time points. Gene Ontlogy (GO) analysis categorized the DEGs into biological process, molecular function, and cellular component. KEGG analysis categorized the DEGs into different pathways, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis was the most prominent pathway, followed by biosynthesis of plant hormones, flavonoid biosynthesis, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. Further analysis led to the identification of differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs) and different kinase responsive genes in CBB23, than that in JG30. Besides TFs and kinase responsive genes, DEGs related to ethylene, jasmonic acid, and secondary metabolites were also identified in both genotypes after PXO99A infection. The data of DEGs are a precious resource for further clarifying the network of Xa23-mediated resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

15 pages, 997 KiB  
Review
Brassinosteroid Signaling in Plant–Microbe Interactions
by Mei-Hui Yu, Zhe-Ze Zhao and Jun-Xian He
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(12), 4091; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19124091 - 17 Dec 2018
Cited by 71 | Viewed by 10236
Abstract
As sessile organisms, plants are frequently exposed to different stress conditions caused by either biotic or abiotic factors. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie plant interaction with the biotic and abiotic environments is fundamental to both plant biotechnology and sustainable agriculture. Brassinosteroids (BRs) are [...] Read more.
As sessile organisms, plants are frequently exposed to different stress conditions caused by either biotic or abiotic factors. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie plant interaction with the biotic and abiotic environments is fundamental to both plant biotechnology and sustainable agriculture. Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a group of plant-specific steroidal compounds essential for normal growth and development. Recent research evidence indicates that BRs are also actively involved in plant–environment interactions and play important roles in shaping plant fitness and the growth–defense trade-offs. In this minireview, we focus our attention on recent advances in the understanding of BR functions in modulating plant interactions with different pathogenic microbes, with particular focus on how BR signaling primes the plant innate immunity pathways and achieves a trade-off between growth and immunity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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18 pages, 1401 KiB  
Review
Regulating the Regulators: The Control of Transcription Factors in Plant Defense Signaling
by Danny W-K Ng, Jayami K. Abeysinghe and Maedeh Kamali
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(12), 3737; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19123737 - 24 Nov 2018
Cited by 145 | Viewed by 11465
Abstract
Being sessile, plants rely on intricate signaling pathways to mount an efficient defense against external threats while maintaining the cost balance for growth. Transcription factors (TFs) form a repertoire of master regulators in controlling various processes of plant development and responses against external [...] Read more.
Being sessile, plants rely on intricate signaling pathways to mount an efficient defense against external threats while maintaining the cost balance for growth. Transcription factors (TFs) form a repertoire of master regulators in controlling various processes of plant development and responses against external stimuli. There are about 58 families of TFs in plants and among them, six major TF families (AP2/ERF (APETALA2/ethylene responsive factor), bHLH (basic helix-loop-helix), MYB (myeloblastosis related), NAC (no apical meristem (NAM), Arabidopsis transcription activation factor (ATAF1/2), and cup-shaped cotyledon (CUC2)), WRKY, and bZIP (basic leucine zipper)) are found to be involved in biotic and abiotic stress responses. As master regulators of plant defense, the expression and activities of these TFs are subjected to various transcriptional and post-transcriptional controls, as well as post-translational modifications. Many excellent reviews have discussed the importance of these TFs families in mediating their downstream target signaling pathways in plant defense. In this review, we summarize the molecular regulatory mechanisms determining the expression and activities of these master regulators themselves, providing insights for studying their variation and regulation in crop wild relatives (CWR). With the advance of genome sequencing and the growing collection of re-sequencing data of CWR, now is the time to re-examine and discover CWR for the lost or alternative alleles of TFs. Such approach will facilitate molecular breeding and genetic improvement of domesticated crops, especially in stress tolerance and defense responses, with the aim to address the growing concern of climate change and its impact on agriculture crop production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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14 pages, 881 KiB  
Review
miRNA-Mediated Interactions in and between Plants and Insects
by Chade Li, Annette Y. P. Wong, Shuang Wang, Qi Jia, Wen-Po Chuang, William G. Bendena, Stephen S. Tobe, Seung Hwan Yang, Gyuhwa Chung, Ting-Fung Chan, Hon-Ming Lam, Jacqueline C. Bede and Jerome H. L. Hui
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(10), 3239; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19103239 - 19 Oct 2018
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 6641
Abstract
Our understanding of microRNA (miRNA) regulation of gene expression and protein translation, as a critical area of cellular regulation, has blossomed in the last two decades. Recently, it has become apparent that in plant-insect interactions, both plants and insects use miRNAs to regulate [...] Read more.
Our understanding of microRNA (miRNA) regulation of gene expression and protein translation, as a critical area of cellular regulation, has blossomed in the last two decades. Recently, it has become apparent that in plant-insect interactions, both plants and insects use miRNAs to regulate their biological processes, as well as co-opting each others’ miRNA systems. In this review article, we discuss the current paradigms of miRNA-mediated cellular regulation and provide examples of plant-insect interactions that utilize this regulation. Lastly, we discuss the potential biotechnological applications of utilizing miRNAs in agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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35 pages, 1680 KiB  
Review
Plant Hormone Signaling Crosstalks between Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses
by Yee-Shan Ku, Mariz Sintaha, Ming-Yan Cheung and Hon-Ming Lam
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(10), 3206; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19103206 - 17 Oct 2018
Cited by 328 | Viewed by 18349
Abstract
In the natural environment, plants are often bombarded by a combination of abiotic (such as drought, salt, heat or cold) and biotic (necrotrophic and biotrophic pathogens) stresses simultaneously. It is critical to understand how the various response pathways to these stresses interact with [...] Read more.
In the natural environment, plants are often bombarded by a combination of abiotic (such as drought, salt, heat or cold) and biotic (necrotrophic and biotrophic pathogens) stresses simultaneously. It is critical to understand how the various response pathways to these stresses interact with one another within the plants, and where the points of crosstalk occur which switch the responses from one pathway to another. Calcium sensors are often regarded as the first line of response to external stimuli to trigger downstream signaling. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a major phytohormone regulating stress responses, and it interacts with the jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathways to channel resources into mitigating the effects of abiotic stresses versus defending against pathogens. The signal transduction in these pathways are often carried out via GTP-binding proteins (G-proteins) which comprise of a large group of proteins that are varied in structures and functions. Deciphering the combined actions of these different signaling pathways in plants would greatly enhance the ability of breeders to develop food crops that can thrive in deteriorating environmental conditions under climate change, and that can maintain or even increase crop yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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14 pages, 888 KiB  
Review
Rice Routes of Countering Xanthomonas oryzae
by Zhiyuan Ji, Chunlian Wang and Kaijun Zhao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(10), 3008; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19103008 - 02 Oct 2018
Cited by 45 | Viewed by 7620
Abstract
Bacterial blight (BB) and bacterial leaf streak (BLS), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola, respectively, are two devastating diseases in rice planting areas worldwide. It has been proven that adoption of rice resistance is the most effective, [...] Read more.
Bacterial blight (BB) and bacterial leaf streak (BLS), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola, respectively, are two devastating diseases in rice planting areas worldwide. It has been proven that adoption of rice resistance is the most effective, economic, and environment-friendly strategy to avoid yield loss caused by BB and BLS. As a model system for plant—pathogen interaction, the rice—X. oryzae pathosystem has been intensively investigated in the past decade. Abundant studies have shown that the resistance and susceptibility of rice to X. oryzae is determined by molecular interactions between rice genes or their products and various pathogen effectors. In this review, we briefly overviewed the literature regarding the diverse interactions, focusing on recent advances in uncovering mechanisms of rice resistance and X. oryzae virulence. Our analysis and discussions will not only be helpful for getting a better understanding of coevolution of the rice innate immunity and X. oryzae virulence, but it will also provide new insights for application of plant R genes in crop breeding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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18 pages, 1270 KiB  
Review
Signal Transduction in Plant–Nematode Interactions
by Muhammad Amjad Ali, Muhammad Shahzad Anjam, Muhammad Amjad Nawaz, Hon-Ming Lam and Gyuhwa Chung
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(6), 1648; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19061648 - 02 Jun 2018
Cited by 39 | Viewed by 11166
Abstract
To successfully invade and infect their host plants, plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) need to evolve molecular mechanisms to overcome the defense responses from the plants. Nematode-associated molecular patterns (NAMPs), including ascarosides and certain proteins, while instrumental in enabling the infection, can be perceived [...] Read more.
To successfully invade and infect their host plants, plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) need to evolve molecular mechanisms to overcome the defense responses from the plants. Nematode-associated molecular patterns (NAMPs), including ascarosides and certain proteins, while instrumental in enabling the infection, can be perceived by the host plants, which then initiate a signaling cascade leading to the induction of basal defense responses. To combat host resistance, some nematodes can inject effectors into the cells of susceptible hosts to reprogram the basal resistance signaling and also modulate the hosts’ gene expression patterns to facilitate the establishment of nematode feeding sites (NFSs). In this review, we summarized all the known signaling pathways involved in plant–nematode interactions. Specifically, we placed particular focus on the effector proteins from PPNs that mimic the signaling of the defense responses in host plants. Furthermore, we gave an updated overview of the regulation by PPNs of different host defense pathways such as salicylic acid (SA)/jasmonic acid (JA), auxin, and cytokinin and reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling to facilitate their parasitic successes in plants. This review will enhance the understanding of the molecular signaling pathways involved in both compatible and incompatible plant–nematode interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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21 pages, 3684 KiB  
Review
A Review of the Interactions between Wheat and Wheat Pathogens: Zymoseptoria tritici, Fusarium spp. and Parastagonospora nodorum
by Adrian Duba, Klaudia Goriewa-Duba and Urszula Wachowska
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(4), 1138; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19041138 - 10 Apr 2018
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 9116
Abstract
Zymoseptoria tritici is a hemibiotrophic pathogen which causes Septoria leaf blotch in wheat. The pathogenesis of the disease consists of a biotrophic phase and a necrotrophic phase. The pathogen infects the host plant by suppressing its immune response in the first stage of [...] Read more.
Zymoseptoria tritici is a hemibiotrophic pathogen which causes Septoria leaf blotch in wheat. The pathogenesis of the disease consists of a biotrophic phase and a necrotrophic phase. The pathogen infects the host plant by suppressing its immune response in the first stage of infection. Hemibiotrophic pathogens of the genus Fusarium cause Fusarium head blight, and the necrotrophic Parastagonospora nodorum is responsible for Septoria nodorum blotch in wheat. Cell wall-degrading enzymes in plants promote infections by necrotrophic and hemibiotrophic pathogens, and trichothecenes, secondary fungal metabolites, facilitate infections caused by fungi of the genus Fusarium. There are no sources of complete resistance to the above pathogens in wheat. Defense mechanisms in wheat are controlled by many genes encoding resistance traits. In the wheat genome, the characteristic features of loci responsible for resistance to pathogenic infections indicate that at least several dozen genes encode resistance to pathogens. The molecular interactions between wheat and Z. tritici, P. nodorum and Fusarium spp. pathogens have been insufficiently investigated. Most studies focus on the mechanisms by which the hemibiotrophic Z. tritici suppresses immune responses in plants and the role of mycotoxins and effector proteins in infections caused by P. nodorum and Fusarium spp. fungi. Trichothecene glycosylation and effector proteins, which are involved in defense responses in wheat, have been described at the molecular level. Recent advances in molecular biology have produced interesting findings which should be further elucidated in studies of molecular interactions between wheat and fungal pathogens. The Clustered Regularly-Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/ CRISPR associated (CRISPR/Cas) system can be used to introduce targeted mutations into the wheat genome and confer resistance to selected fungal diseases. Host-induced gene silencing and spray-induced gene silencing are also useful tools for analyzing wheat–pathogens interactions which can be used to develop new strategies for controlling fungal diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Signal Transduction Pathways in Plants for Resistance Against Plant Pathogens)
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