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Plant Innate Immunity 4.0

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 (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 37999

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Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
Interests: essential oils; bioactive phytochemicals; ethnopharmacology; antimicrobial resistance; one health; food security
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Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Even if immunology has been purely regarded as a medical science, immunity represents a trait common to many living organisms. Classically, the mammalian immune system consists of innate and adaptive mechanisms that protect the host from pathogens; in particular, innate mechanisms function independently of previous exposure of the host to the infectious agent.

Animal and plant innate immunities share some similarities, and plants, as the animals, are capable of recognizing and distinguishing between self and non-self. Recognition by the innate immune system is based on germline-encoded receptors (also called pattern recognition receptors, PRRs) expressed on host cells which sense conserved structural components and metabolism products of fungi, bacteria and viruses (known as pathogen-associated molecular patterns, PAMPs) including lipids, polysaccharides, proteins and nucleic acids. During their evolutionary history, plants have developed various defence strategies in order to face pathogens. Although lacking immunoglobulin molecules, circulating cells and phagocytic processes, the effectors of the mammalian immunity, plants possess a rather complex and efficient innate immune system. Therefore, disease is a rare outcome in the spectrum of plant-microbe interactions because plants have (co)evolved a complex set of defence mechanisms to hinder pathogen challenging and, in most cases, prevent infection. The battery of defence reactions includes physical and chemical barriers, both preformed (or constitutive or passive) and inducible (or active), depending on whether they are pre-existing features of the plant or are switched on after challenging. When a pathogen is able to overcome these defences, disease ceases to be the exception.

We invite investigators to submit both original research and review articles that explore all the aspects of the plant innate immunity.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Host resistance
  • Non-host resistance
  • Systemic acquired resistance (SAR)
  • Induced systemic resistance (ISR)
  • Plant-microbe interaction
  • Plant-insect interaction
  • Plant-nematode interaction
  • Elicitors
  • Plant activators
  • PAMPs/MAMPs/DAMPs (pathogen/microbe/damage-associated molecular patterns)
  • PRRs (pattern recognition receptors)
  • Hypersensitive response/Programmed cell death (PCD)
  • Phytoanticipins
  • Phytoalexins
  • Ribosome inactivating proteins
  • Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins
  • Fitness costs

Related Special Issues:

Plant Innate Immunity (10 articles)

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Signaling in Plant Immunity—At the Crossroad of Life and Death
Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of the VQ Motif-Containing Protein Family in Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. Pekinensis)
Expression Patterns of Genes Involved in Ascorbate-Glutathione Cycle in Aphid-Infested Maize (Zea mays L.) Seedlings
Characterization of Stripe Rust Resistance Genes in the Wheat Cultivar Chuanmai45
The Fundamental Role of NOX Family Proteins in Plant Immunity and Their Regulation
The Transcription Factor OsWRKY45 Negatively Modulates the Resistance of Rice to the Brown Planthopper Nilaparvata lugens
PAMP Activity of Cerato-Platanin during Plant Interaction: An -Omic Approach
Digital Gene Expression Analysis of Ponkan Mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) in Response to Asia Citrus Psyllid-Vectored Huanglongbing Infection
Plant Resistance Inducers against Pathogens in Solanaceae Species—From Molecular Mechanisms to Field Application
Moving to the Field: Plant Innate Immunity in Crop Protection

Plant Innate Immunity 2.0 (21 articles)

Evidence-Based Phytoiatry, a New Approach in Crop Protection
Detection and Management of Mango Dieback Disease in the United Arab Emirates
Molecular Biology of Prune Dwarf Virus—A Lesser Known Member of the Bromoviridae but a Vital Component in the Dynamic Virus–Host Cell Interaction Network
Indispensable Role of Proteases in Plant Innate Immunity
Arabidopsis RETICULON-LIKE3 (RTNLB3) and RTNLB8 Participate in Agrobacterium-Mediated Plant Transformation
Calcium Signalling in Plant Biotic Interactions
Plant Cell Wall Dynamics in Compatible and Incompatible Potato Response to Infection Caused by Potato Virus Y (PVYNTN)
A Comparison of the Effects of FATTY ACID DESATURASE 7 and HYDROPEROXIDE LYASE on Plant–Aphid Interactions
Signals of Systemic Immunity in Plants: Progress and Open Questions
Expressing OsMPK4 Impairs Plant Growth but Enhances the Resistance of Rice to the Striped Stem Borer Chilo suppressalis
Cloning, Characterization, and Functional Investigation of VaHAESA from Vitis amurensis Inoculated with Plasmopara viticola
The Commonly Used Bactericide Bismerthiazol Promotes Rice Defenses against Herbivores
A Biocontrol Strain of Bacillus subtilis WXCDD105 Used to Control Tomato Botrytis cinerea and Cladosporium fulvum Cooke and Promote the Growth of Seedlings
CaWRKY40b in Pepper Acts as a Negative Regulator in Response to Ralstonia solanacearum by Directly Modulating Defense Genes Including CaWRKY40
CaWRKY22 Acts as a Positive Regulator in Pepper Response to Ralstonia Solanacearum by Constituting Networks with CaWRKY6, CaWRKY27, CaWRKY40, and CaWRKY58
Metabolomics in Plant Priming Research: The Way Forward?
Studies of Microbiota Dynamics Reveals Association of “Candidatus Liberibacter Asiaticus” Infection with Citrus (Citrus sinensis) Decline in South of Iran
Quantitative Proteomic Analysis Provides Insights into Rice Defense Mechanisms against Magnaporthe oryzae
Comparative Analysis of Impatiens Leaf Transcriptomes Reveal Candidate Genes for Resistance to Downy Mildew Caused by Plasmopara obducens
Two New Polyphenol Oxidase Genes of Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis) Respond Differentially to the Regurgitant of Tea Geometrid, Ectropis obliqua
Overexpression of OsGID1 Enhances the Resistance of Rice to the Brown Planthopper Nilaparvata lugens

Plant Innate Immunity 3.0 (14 articles)

Effects of Abscisic Acid and Salicylic Acid on Gene Expression in the Antiviral RNA Silencing Pathway in Arabidopsis
OsMKK3, a Stress-Responsive Protein Kinase, Positively Regulates Rice Resistance to Nilaparvata lugens via Phytohormone Dynamics
Aphid-Triggered Changes in Oxidative Damage Markers of Nucleic Acids, Proteins, and Lipids in Maize (Zea mays L.) Seedlings
Metabolomic Profiling of the Host Response of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Following Infection by Ralstonia solanacearum
The Highly Conserved Barley Powdery Mildew Effector BEC1019 Confers Susceptibility to Biotrophic and Necrotrophic Pathogens in Wheat
Proteomics of PTI and Two ETI Immune Reactions in Potato Leaves
Transcriptomic Insights into Innate Immunity Responding to Red Rot Disease in Red Alga Pyropia yezoensis
Unravelling the Roles of Nitrogen Nutrition in Plant Disease Defences
Elicitor and Receptor Molecules: Orchestrators of Plant Defense and Immunity
Oxathiapiprolin, a Novel Chemical Inducer Activates the Plant Disease Resistance
Arabidopsis RETICULON-LIKE4 (RTNLB4) Protein Participates in Agrobacterium Infection and VirB2 Peptide-Induced Plant Defense Response
Prospects of Gene Knockouts in the Functional Study of MAMP-Triggered Immunity: A Review
Zinc and Copper Enhance Cucumber Tolerance to Fusaric Acid by Mediating Its Distribution and Toxicity and Modifying the Antioxidant System
Characterization of the Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOCs) and Analysis of the PR1 Molecular Marker in Vitis vinifera L. Inoculated with the Nematode Xiphinema index

Prof. Dr. Marcello Iriti
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Crop protection
  • Plant diseases
  • Systemic acquired immunity
  • Defence metabolism
  • Secondary metabolites

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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20 pages, 5383 KiB  
Article
Biocontrol Potential of Endophytic Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria against Phytopathogenic Viruses: Molecular Interaction with the Host Plant and Comparison with Chitosan
by Gul-i-Rayna Shahzad, Alessandro Passera, Giusva Maldera, Paola Casati, Iriti Marcello and Piero Attilio Bianco
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(13), 6990; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23136990 - 23 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2286
Abstract
Endophytic plant-growth-promoting bacteria (ePGPB) are interesting tools for pest management strategies. However, the molecular interactions underlying specific biocontrol effects, particularly against phytopathogenic viruses, remain unexplored. Herein, we investigated the antiviral effects and triggers of induced systemic resistance mediated by four ePGPB (Paraburkholderia [...] Read more.
Endophytic plant-growth-promoting bacteria (ePGPB) are interesting tools for pest management strategies. However, the molecular interactions underlying specific biocontrol effects, particularly against phytopathogenic viruses, remain unexplored. Herein, we investigated the antiviral effects and triggers of induced systemic resistance mediated by four ePGPB (Paraburkholderia fungorum strain R8, Paenibacillus pasadenensis strain R16, Pantoea agglomerans strain 255-7, and Pseudomonas syringae strain 260-02) against four viruses (Cymbidium Ring Spot Virus—CymRSV; Cucumber Mosaic Virus—CMV; Potato Virus X—PVX; and Potato Virus Y—PVY) on Nicotiana benthamiana plants under controlled conditions and compared them with a chitosan-based resistance inducer product. Our studies indicated that ePGPB- and chitosan-treated plants presented well-defined biocontrol efficacy against CymRSV and CMV, unlike PVX and PVY. They exhibited significant reductions in symptom severity while promoting plant height compared to nontreated, virus-infected controls. However, these phenotypic traits showed no association with relative virus quantification. Moreover, the tested defense-related genes (Enhanced Disease Susceptibility-1 (EDS1), Non-expressor of Pathogenesis-related genes-1 (NPR1), and Pathogenesis-related protein-2B (PR2B)) implied the involvement of a salicylic-acid-related defense pathway triggered by EDS1 gene upregulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Innate Immunity 4.0)
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21 pages, 2408 KiB  
Article
Activation of Local and Systemic Defence Responses by Flg22 Is Dependent on Daytime and Ethylene in Intact Tomato Plants
by Zalán Czékus, András Kukri, Kamirán Áron Hamow, Gabriella Szalai, Irma Tari, Attila Ördög and Péter Poór
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(15), 8354; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22158354 - 3 Aug 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4226
Abstract
The first line of plant defence responses against pathogens can be induced by the bacterial flg22 and can be dependent on various external and internal factors. Here, we firstly studied the effects of daytime and ethylene (ET) using Never ripe (Nr) [...] Read more.
The first line of plant defence responses against pathogens can be induced by the bacterial flg22 and can be dependent on various external and internal factors. Here, we firstly studied the effects of daytime and ethylene (ET) using Never ripe (Nr) mutants in the local and systemic defence responses of intact tomato plants after flg22 treatments. Flg22 was applied in the afternoon and at night and rapid reactions were detected. The production of hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide was induced by flg22 locally, while superoxide was induced systemically, in wild type plants in the light period, but all remained lower at night and in Nr leaves. Flg22 elevated, locally, the ET, jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) levels in the light period; these levels did not change significantly at night. Expression of Pathogenesis-related 1 (PR1), Ethylene response factor 1 (ERF1) and Defensin (DEF) showed also daytime- and ET-dependent changes. Enhanced ERF1 and DEF expression and stomatal closure were also observable in systemic leaves of wild type plants in the light. These data demonstrate that early biotic signalling in flg22-treated leaves and distal ones is an ET-dependent process and it is also determined by the time of day and inhibited in the early night phase. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Innate Immunity 4.0)
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27 pages, 11668 KiB  
Article
Molecular Insights into the Role of Cysteine-Rich Peptides in Induced Resistance to Fusarium oxysporum Infection in Tomato Based on Transcriptome Profiling
by Marina P. Slezina, Ekaterina A. Istomina, Tatyana V. Korostyleva, Alexey S. Kovtun, Artem S. Kasianov, Alexey A. Konopkin, Larisa A. Shcherbakova and Tatyana I. Odintsova
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(11), 5741; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22115741 - 27 May 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3685
Abstract
Cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) play an important role in plant physiology. However, their role in resistance induced by biogenic elicitors remains poorly understood. Using whole-genome transcriptome sequencing and our CRP search algorithm, we analyzed the repertoire of CRPs in tomato Solanum lycopersicum L. in [...] Read more.
Cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) play an important role in plant physiology. However, their role in resistance induced by biogenic elicitors remains poorly understood. Using whole-genome transcriptome sequencing and our CRP search algorithm, we analyzed the repertoire of CRPs in tomato Solanum lycopersicum L. in response to Fusarium oxysporum infection and elicitors from F. sambucinum. We revealed 106 putative CRP transcripts belonging to different families of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), signaling peptides (RALFs), and peptides with non-defense functions (Major pollen allergen of Olea europaea (Ole e 1 and 6), Maternally Expressed Gene (MEG), Epidermal Patterning Factor (EPF)), as well as pathogenesis-related proteins of families 1 and 4 (PR-1 and 4). We discovered a novel type of 10-Cys-containing hevein-like AMPs named SlHev1, which was up-regulated both by infection and elicitors. Transcript profiling showed that F. oxysporum infection and F. sambucinum elicitors changed the expression levels of different overlapping sets of CRP genes, suggesting the diversification of functions in CRP families. We showed that non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) and snakins mostly contribute to the response of tomato plants to the infection and the elicitors. The involvement of CRPs with non-defense function in stress reactions was also demonstrated. The results obtained shed light on the mode of action of F. sambucinum elicitors and the role of CRP families in the immune response in tomato. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Innate Immunity 4.0)
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11 pages, 1007 KiB  
Article
Photoperiod Following Inoculation of Arabidopsis with Pyricularia oryzae (syn. Magnaporthe oryzae) Influences on the Plant–Pathogen Interaction
by Sayaka Shimizu, Yuri Yamauchi and Atsushi Ishikawa
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(9), 5004; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22095004 - 8 May 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2277
Abstract
In plant–pathogen interactions, a proper light environment affects the establishment of defense responses in plants. In our previous experiments, we found that nonhost resistance (NHR) to Pyricularia oryzae Cav. in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. (Arabidopsis), in diurnal conditions, varies with the inoculation time. [...] Read more.
In plant–pathogen interactions, a proper light environment affects the establishment of defense responses in plants. In our previous experiments, we found that nonhost resistance (NHR) to Pyricularia oryzae Cav. in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. (Arabidopsis), in diurnal conditions, varies with the inoculation time. Moreover, we indicated that the circadian clock plays an important role in regulating time-of-day differences in NHR to P. oryzae in Arabidopsis. However, the involvement of photoperiod in regulating NHR was still not understood. To determine the photoperiod role, we performed the experiments in continuous light and darkness during the early Arabidopsis–P. oryzae interaction. We found that the light period after the inoculation in the evening enhanced the resistance to penetration. However, the dark period after the inoculation in the morning suppressed the penetration resistance. Furthermore, the genetic analysis indicated that jasmonic acid, reactive oxygen species, and tryptophan-derived metabolite(s) contribute to the photoperiod regulation of NHR in Arabidopsis. The present results denote that photoperiod plays an important role in regulating time-of-day differences in NHR to P. oryzae in Arabidopsis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Innate Immunity 4.0)
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18 pages, 3744 KiB  
Article
Effectors of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici Suppressing the Pathogenic-Associated Molecular Pattern-Triggered Immune Response Were Screened by Transient Expression of Wheat Protoplasts
by Yongying Su, Yanger Chen, Jing Chen, Zijin Zhang, Jinya Guo, Yi Cai, Chaoyang Zhu, Zhongyuan Li and Huaiyu Zhang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(9), 4985; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22094985 - 7 May 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3830
Abstract
Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) is an important pathogen of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) stripe rust, and the effector protein secreted by haustoria is a very important component involved in the pathogenic process. Although the candidate effector proteins secreted [...] Read more.
Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) is an important pathogen of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) stripe rust, and the effector protein secreted by haustoria is a very important component involved in the pathogenic process. Although the candidate effector proteins secreted by Pst haustoria have been predicted to be abundant, few have been functionally validated. Our study confirmed that chitin and flg22 could be used as elicitors of the pathogenic-associated molecular pattern-triggered immune (PTI) reaction in wheat leaves and that TaPr-1-14 could be used as a marker gene to detect the PTI reaction. In addition, the experimental results were consistent in wheat protoplasts. A rapid and efficient method for screening and identifying the effector proteins of Pst was established by using the wheat protoplast transient expression system. Thirty-nine Pst haustorial effector genes were successfully cloned and screened for expression in the protoplast. We identified three haustorial effector proteins, PSEC2, PSEC17, and PSEC45, that may inhibit the response of wheat to PTI. These proteins are localized in the somatic cytoplasm and nucleus of wheat protoplasts and are highly expressed during the infection and parasitism of wheat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Innate Immunity 4.0)
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15 pages, 4954 KiB  
Article
A Truncated TIR-NBS Protein TN10 Pairs with Two Clustered TIR-NBS-LRR Immune Receptors and Contributes to Plant Immunity in Arabidopsis
by Yongming Chen, Guitao Zhong, Huiren Cai, Renjie Chen, Na Liu, Wei Wang and Dingzhong Tang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(8), 4004; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22084004 - 13 Apr 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3576
Abstract
The encoding genes of plant intracellular nucleotide-binding site (NBS) and leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain receptors (NLRs) often exist in the form of a gene cluster. Several recent studies demonstrated that the truncated Toll/interleukin-1 receptor-NBS (TIR-NBS) proteins play important roles in immunity. In this [...] Read more.
The encoding genes of plant intracellular nucleotide-binding site (NBS) and leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain receptors (NLRs) often exist in the form of a gene cluster. Several recent studies demonstrated that the truncated Toll/interleukin-1 receptor-NBS (TIR-NBS) proteins play important roles in immunity. In this study, we identified a large TN gene cluster on Arabidopsis ecotype Col-0 chromosome 1, which included nine TN genes, TN4 to TN12. Interestingly, this cluster also contained two typical TIR-NBS-LRR genes: At1g72840 and At1g72860 (hereinafter referred to as TNL40 and TNL60, respectively), which formed head-to-head genomic arrangement with TN4 to TN12. However, the functions of these TN and TNL genes in this cluster are still unknown. Here, we showed that the TIR domains of both TNL40 and TNL60 associated with TN10 specifically. Furthermore, both TNL40TIR and TNL60TIR induced cell death in Nicotiana tabacum leaves. Subcellular localization showed that TNL40 mainly localized in the cytoplasm, whereas TNL60 and TN10 localized in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. Additionally, the expression of TNL40, TNL60, and TN10 were co-regulated after inoculated with bacterial pathogens. Taken together, our study indicates that the truncated TIR-NBS protein TN10 associates with two clustered TNL immune receptors, and may work together in plant disease resistance Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Innate Immunity 4.0)
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30 pages, 2366 KiB  
Article
The Resistance of Narrow-Leafed Lupin to Diaporthe toxica Is Based on the Rapid Activation of Defense Response Genes
by Michał Książkiewicz, Sandra Rychel-Bielska, Piotr Plewiński, Maria Nuc, Witold Irzykowski, Małgorzata Jędryczka and Paweł Krajewski
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(2), 574; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22020574 - 8 Jan 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3378
Abstract
Narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) is a grain legume crop that is advantageous in animal nutrition due to its high protein content; however, livestock grazing on stubble may develop a lupinosis disease that is related to toxins produced by a pathogenic fungus, [...] Read more.
Narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) is a grain legume crop that is advantageous in animal nutrition due to its high protein content; however, livestock grazing on stubble may develop a lupinosis disease that is related to toxins produced by a pathogenic fungus, Diaporthe toxica. Two major unlinked alleles, Phr1 and PhtjR, confer L. angustifolius resistance to this fungus. Besides the introduction of these alleles into modern cultivars, the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance remained unsolved. In this study, resistant and susceptible lines were subjected to differential gene expression profiling in response to D. toxica inoculation, spanning the progress of the infection from the early to latent phases. High-throughput sequencing of stem transcriptome and PCR quantification of selected genes were performed. Gene Ontology term analysis revealed that an early (24 h) response in the resistant germplasm encompassed activation of genes controlling reactive oxygen species and oxylipin biosynthesis, whereas in the susceptible germplasm, it comprised induction of xyloglucan endotransglucosylases/hydrolases. During the first five days of the infection, the number of genes with significantly altered expressions was about 2.6 times higher in resistant lines than in the susceptible line. Global transcriptome reprogramming involving the activation of defense response genes occurred in lines conferring Phr1 and PhtjR resistance alleles about 4–8 days earlier than in the susceptible germplasm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Innate Immunity 4.0)
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18 pages, 2410 KiB  
Article
Structural Diversity and Highly Specific Host-Pathogen Transcriptional Regulation of Defensin Genes Is Revealed in Tomato
by Nikolaos Nikoloudakis, Polyxeni Pappi, Emmanouil A. Markakis, Spyridoula N. Charova, Dimitrios Fanourakis, Konstantinos Paschalidis, Costas Delis, Emmanuel A. Tzortzakakis and Georgios Tsaniklidis
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(24), 9380; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21249380 - 9 Dec 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3111
Abstract
Defensins are small and rather ubiquitous cysteine-rich anti-microbial peptides. These proteins may act against pathogenic microorganisms either directly (by binding and disrupting membranes) or indirectly (as signaling molecules that participate in the organization of the cellular defense). Even though defensins are widespread across [...] Read more.
Defensins are small and rather ubiquitous cysteine-rich anti-microbial peptides. These proteins may act against pathogenic microorganisms either directly (by binding and disrupting membranes) or indirectly (as signaling molecules that participate in the organization of the cellular defense). Even though defensins are widespread across eukaryotes, still, extensive nucleotide and amino acid dissimilarities hamper the elucidation of their response to stimuli and mode of function. In the current study, we screened the Solanum lycopersicum genome for the identification of defensin genes, predicted the relating protein structures, and further studied their transcriptional responses to biotic (Verticillium dahliae, Meloidogyne javanica, Cucumber Mosaic Virus, and Potato Virus Y infections) and abiotic (cold stress) stimuli. Tomato defensin sequences were classified into two groups (C8 and C12). Our data indicate that the transcription of defensin coding genes primarily depends on the specific pathogen recognition patterns of V. dahliae and M. javanica. The immunodetection of plant defensin 1 protein was achieved only in the roots of plants inoculated with V. dahliae. In contrast, the almost null effects of viral infections and cold stress, and the failure to substantially induce the gene transcription suggest that these factors are probably not primarily targeted by the tomato defensin network. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Innate Immunity 4.0)
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15 pages, 4102 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification of the Tify Gene Family and Their Expression Profiles in Response to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses in Tea Plants (Camellia sinensis)
by Xin Zhang, Wei Ran, Jin Zhang, Meng Ye, Songbo Lin, Xiwang Li, Riffat Sultana and Xiaoling Sun
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(21), 8316; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21218316 - 5 Nov 2020
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 2809
Abstract
The TIFY family is a plant-specific gene family that is involved in regulating a variety of plant processes, including developmental and defense responses. The chromosome-level genome of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) has recently been released, but a comprehensive view of [...] Read more.
The TIFY family is a plant-specific gene family that is involved in regulating a variety of plant processes, including developmental and defense responses. The chromosome-level genome of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) has recently been released, but a comprehensive view of the TIFY family in C. sinensis (the CsTIFY genes) is lacking. The current study performed an extensive genome-wide identification of CsTIFY genes. The phylogenetics, chromosome location, exon/intron structure, and conserved domains of these genes were analyzed to characterize the members of the CsTIFY family. The expression profiles of the CsTIFY genes in four organs were analyzed, and they showed different spatial expression patterns. All CsJAZ genes were observed to be induced by jasmonate acid (JA) and exhibited different responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Six of seven CsJAZ genes (CsJAZ1, CsJAZ2, CsJAZ3, CsJAZ4, CsJAZ7, and CsJAZ8) were upregulated by mechanical wounding and infestation with the tea geometrid (Ectropis obliqua), while infection with tea anthracnose (Colletotrichum camelliae) primarily upregulated the expression levels of CsJAZ1 and CsJAZ10. In addition, CsJAZs were observed to interact with CsMYC2 and AtMYC2. Therefore, the results of this study may contribute to the functional characterization of the CsTIFY genes, especially the members of the JAZ subfamily, as regulators of the JA-mediated defense response in tea plant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Innate Immunity 4.0)
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19 pages, 4678 KiB  
Article
Expression of Thioredoxin/Thioredoxin Reductase System Genes in Aphid-Challenged Maize Seedlings
by Hubert Sytykiewicz, Iwona Łukasik, Sylwia Goławska, Iwona Sprawka, Artur Goławski, Julia Sławianowska and Katarzyna Kmieć
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(17), 6296; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21176296 - 31 Aug 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2490
Abstract
Thioredoxins (Trxs) and thioredoxin reductases (TrxRs) encompass a highly complex network involved in sustaining thiol-based redox homeostasis in plant tissues. The purpose of the study was to gain a new insight into transcriptional reprogramming of the several genes involved in functioning of Trx/TrxR [...] Read more.
Thioredoxins (Trxs) and thioredoxin reductases (TrxRs) encompass a highly complex network involved in sustaining thiol-based redox homeostasis in plant tissues. The purpose of the study was to gain a new insight into transcriptional reprogramming of the several genes involved in functioning of Trx/TrxR system in maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings, exposed to the bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi L.) or the rose-grass aphid (Metopolophium dirhodum Walk.) infestation. The biotests were performed on two maize genotypes (susceptible Złota Karłowa and relatively resistant Waza). The application of real-time qRT-PCR technique allowed to identify a molecular mechanism triggered in more resistant maize plants, linked to upregulation of thioredoxins-encoding genes (Trx-f, Trx-h, Trx-m, Trx-x) and thioredoxin reductase genes (Ftr1, Trxr2). Significant enhancement of TrxR activity in aphid-infested Waza seedlings was also demonstrated. Furthermore, we used an electrical penetration graph (EPG) recordings of M. dirhodum stylet activities in seedlings of the two studied maize varieties. Duration of phloem phase (E1 and E2 models) of rose-grass aphids was about three times longer while feeding in Waza plants, compared to Złota Karłowa cv. The role of activation of Trx/TrxR system in maintaining redox balance and counteracting oxidative-induced damages of macromolecules in aphid-stressed maize plants is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Innate Immunity 4.0)
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Review
Signaling Pathways and Downstream Effectors of Host Innate Immunity in Plants
by Jitendra Kumar, Ayyagari Ramlal, Kamal Kumar, Anita Rani and Vachaspati Mishra
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(16), 9022; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22169022 - 21 Aug 2021
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4450
Abstract
Phytopathogens, such as biotrophs, hemibiotrophs and necrotrophs, pose serious stress on the development of their host plants, compromising their yields. Plants are in constant interaction with such phytopathogens and hence are vulnerable to their attack. In order to counter these attacks, plants need [...] Read more.
Phytopathogens, such as biotrophs, hemibiotrophs and necrotrophs, pose serious stress on the development of their host plants, compromising their yields. Plants are in constant interaction with such phytopathogens and hence are vulnerable to their attack. In order to counter these attacks, plants need to develop immunity against them. Consequently, plants have developed strategies of recognizing and countering pathogenesis through pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Pathogen perception and surveillance is mediated through receptor proteins that trigger signal transduction, initiated in the cytoplasm or at the plasma membrane (PM) surfaces. Plant hosts possess microbe-associated molecular patterns (P/MAMPs), which trigger a complex set of mechanisms through the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and resistance (R) genes. These interactions lead to the stimulation of cytoplasmic kinases by many phosphorylating proteins that may also be transcription factors. Furthermore, phytohormones, such as salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and ethylene, are also effective in triggering defense responses. Closure of stomata, limiting the transfer of nutrients through apoplast and symplastic movements, production of antimicrobial compounds, programmed cell death (PCD) are some of the primary defense-related mechanisms. The current article highlights the molecular processes involved in plant innate immunity (PII) and discusses the most recent and plausible scientific interventions that could be useful in augmenting PII. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Innate Immunity 4.0)
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