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2.
Plant Physiol ; 186(2): 1336-1353, 2021 06 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33788927

ABSTRACT

Drought at flowering and grain filling greatly reduces maize (Zea mays) yield. Climate change is causing earlier and longer-lasting periods of drought, which affect the growth of multiple maize organs throughout development. To study how long periods of water deficit impact the dynamic nature of growth, and to determine how these relate to reproductive drought, we employed a high-throughput phenotyping platform featuring precise irrigation, imaging systems, and image-based biomass estimations. Prolonged drought resulted in a reduction of growth rate of individual organs-though an extension of growth duration partially compensated for this-culminating in lower biomass and delayed flowering. However, long periods of drought did not affect the highly organized succession of maximal growth rates of the distinct organs, i.e. leaves, stems, and ears. Two drought treatments negatively affected distinct seed yield components: Prolonged drought mainly reduced the number of spikelets, and drought during the reproductive period increased the anthesis-silking interval. The identification of these divergent biomass and yield components, which were affected by the shift in duration and intensity of drought, will facilitate trait-specific breeding toward future climate-resilient crops.


Subject(s)
Stress, Physiological , Zea mays/physiology , Biomass , Climate Change , Droughts , Flowers/growth & development , Flowers/physiology , Plant Breeding , Plant Leaves/growth & development , Plant Leaves/physiology , Plant Stems/growth & development , Plant Stems/physiology , Water/physiology , Zea mays/growth & development
3.
Front Plant Sci ; 12: 640914, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33692820

ABSTRACT

Hyperspectral imaging is a promising tool for non-destructive phenotyping of plant physiological traits, which has been transferred from remote to proximal sensing applications, and from manual laboratory setups to automated plant phenotyping platforms. Due to the higher resolution in proximal sensing, illumination variation and plant geometry result in increased non-biological variation in plant spectra that may mask subtle biological differences. Here, a better understanding of spectral measurements for proximal sensing and their application to study drought, developmental and diurnal responses was acquired in a drought case study of maize grown in a greenhouse phenotyping platform with a hyperspectral imaging setup. The use of brightness classification to reduce the illumination-induced non-biological variation is demonstrated, and allowed the detection of diurnal, developmental and early drought-induced changes in maize reflectance and physiology. Diurnal changes in transpiration rate and vapor pressure deficit were significantly correlated with red and red-edge reflectance. Drought-induced changes in effective quantum yield and water potential were accurately predicted using partial least squares regression and the newly developed Water Potential Index 2, respectively. The prediction accuracy of hyperspectral indices and partial least squares regression were similar, as long as a strong relationship between the physiological trait and reflectance was present. This demonstrates that current hyperspectral processing approaches can be used in automated plant phenotyping platforms to monitor physiological traits with a high temporal resolution.

4.
J Integr Plant Biol ; 58(4): 413-25, 2016 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25727685

ABSTRACT

Olive fly (Bactrocera oleae R.) is the most harmful insect pest of olive (Olea europaea L.) which strongly affects fruits and oil production. Despite the expanding economic importance of olive cultivation, up to now, only limited information on plant responses to B. oleae is available. Here, we demonstrate that olive fruits respond to B. oleae attack by producing changes in an array of different defensive compounds including phytohormones, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and defense proteins. Bactrocera oleae-infested fruits induced a strong ethylene burst and transcript levels of several putative ethylene-responsive transcription factors became significantly upregulated. Moreover, infested fruits induced significant changes in the levels of 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid and C12 derivatives of the hydroperoxide lyase. The emission of VOCs was also changed quantitatively and qualitatively in insect-damaged fruits, indicating that B. oleae larval feeding can specifically affect the volatile blend of fruits. Finally, we show that larval infestation maintained high levels of trypsin protease inhibitors in ripe fruits, probably by affecting post-transcriptional mechanisms. Our results provide novel and important information to understand the response of the olive fruit to B. oleae attack; information that can shed light onto potential new strategies to combat this pest.


Subject(s)
Ethylenes/metabolism , Fruit/parasitology , Olea/parasitology , Plant Diseases/parasitology , Tephritidae/physiology , Volatile Organic Compounds/metabolism , Animals , Feeding Behavior , Flowers/genetics , Fruit/genetics , Gene Expression Profiling , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Genes, Plant , Larva , Models, Biological , Olea/genetics , Plant Diseases/genetics , Plant Growth Regulators/metabolism , Protease Inhibitors/metabolism , RNA, Messenger/genetics , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , Signal Transduction/genetics
5.
BMC Plant Biol ; 14: 150, 2014 May 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24884528

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Arabidopsis AtHB7 and AtHB12 transcription factors (TFs) belong to the homeodomain-leucine zipper subfamily I (HD-Zip I) and present 62% amino acid identity. These TFs have been associated with the control of plant development and abiotic stress responses; however, at present it is not completely understood how AtHB7 and AtHB12 regulate these processes. RESULTS: By using different expression analysis approaches, we found that AtHB12 is expressed at higher levels during early Arabidopsis thaliana development whereas AtHB7 during later developmental stages. Moreover, by analysing gene expression in single and double Arabidopsis mutants and in transgenic plants ectopically expressing these TFs, we discovered a complex mechanism dependent on the plant developmental stage and in which AtHB7 and AtHB12 affect the expression of each other. Phenotypic analysis of transgenic plants revealed that AtHB12 induces root elongation and leaf development in young plants under standard growth conditions, and seed production in water-stressed plants. In contrast, AtHB7 promotes leaf development, chlorophyll levels and photosynthesis and reduces stomatal conductance in mature plants. Moreover AtHB7 delays senescence processes in standard growth conditions. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that AtHB7 and AtHB12 have overlapping yet specific roles in several processes related to development and water stress responses. The analysis of mutant and transgenic plants indicated that the expression of AtHB7 and AtHB12 is regulated in a coordinated manner, depending on the plant developmental stage and the environmental conditions. The results suggested that AtHB7 and AtHB12 evolved divergently to fine tune processes associated with development and responses to mild water stress.


Subject(s)
Arabidopsis Proteins/metabolism , Arabidopsis/growth & development , Arabidopsis/physiology , Evolution, Molecular , Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism , Plant Development/genetics , Stress, Physiological , Arabidopsis Proteins/genetics , Chlorophyll/metabolism , Dehydration , Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Genes, Duplicate , Glucuronidase/metabolism , Homeodomain Proteins/genetics , Models, Biological , Photosynthesis/genetics , Plant Leaves/genetics , Plant Leaves/growth & development , Plant Roots/genetics , Plant Roots/growth & development , Plant Stomata/physiology , Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics , Seedlings/genetics , Seedlings/growth & development , Seeds/metabolism , Sequence Alignment , Stress, Physiological/genetics , Water/metabolism
6.
Plant Signal Behav ; 9(3): e28429, 2014.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24603593

ABSTRACT

The production of free oxylipins in plants is exquisitely controlled by cellular mechanisms that respond to environmental factors such as mechanical damage, insect herbivory and pathogen infection. One of the main targets of these cellular mechanisms are glycerolipases class A (GLA); acyl-hydrolyzing enzymes that upon their biochemical activation release unsaturated fatty acids or acylated oxylipins from glycerolipids. Recent studies performed in the wild tobacco species Nicotiana attenuata have started to reveal the complexity and specificity of GLA-regulated free oxylipin production. I present a model in which individual GLA lipases associate with individual lipoxygenases (LOX) in chloroplast membranes and envelope to define the initial committed steps of distinct oxylipin biosynthesis pathways. The unravelling of the mechanisms that activate GLAs and LOXs at the biochemical level and that control the interaction between these enzymes and their association with membranes will prove to be fundamental to understand how plants control free oxylipin biogenesis.


Subject(s)
Lipase/metabolism , Lipoxygenases/metabolism , Models, Biological , Oxylipins/metabolism , Plants/metabolism , Chloroplasts/metabolism , Lipid Metabolism
7.
Plant Cell Environ ; 37(7): 1703-15, 2014 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24450863

ABSTRACT

Nicotiana attenuata plants silenced in the expression of GLYCEROLIPASE A1 (ir-gla1 plants) are compromised in the herbivore- and wound-induced accumulation of jasmonic acid (JA). However, these plants accumulate wild-type (WT) levels of JA and divinyl-ethers during Phytophthora parasitica infection. By profiling oxylipin-enriched fractions with targeted and untargeted liquid chromatography-tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry approaches, we demonstrate that the accumulation of 9-hydroxy-10E,12Z-octadecadienoic acid (9-OH-18:2) and additional C18 and C19 oxylipins is reduced by ca. 20-fold in P. parasitica-infected ir-gla1 leaves compared with WT. This reduced accumulation of oxylipins was accompanied by a reduced accumulation of unsaturated free fatty acids and specific lysolipid species. Untargeted metabolic profiling of total leaf extracts showed that 87 metabolites accumulated differentially in leaves of P. parasitica-infected ir-gla1 plants with glycerolipids, hydroxylated-diterpene glycosides and phenylpropanoid derivatives accounting together for ca. 20% of these 87 metabolites. Thus, P. parasitica-induced oxylipins may participate in the regulation of metabolic changes during infection. Together, the results demonstrate that GLA1 plays a distinct role in the production of oxylipins during biotic stress responses, supplying substrates for 9-OH-18:2 and additional C18 and C19 oxylipin formation during P. parasitica infection, whereas supplying substrates for the biogenesis of JA during herbivory and mechanical wounding.


Subject(s)
Lipase/metabolism , Nicotiana/enzymology , Nicotiana/immunology , Oxylipins/metabolism , Phytophthora/physiology , Secondary Metabolism , Chromatography, Liquid , Fatty Acids/metabolism , Lipid Metabolism , Metabolomics , Phytophthora/growth & development , Plant Diseases/microbiology , Plant Extracts , Plant Leaves/metabolism , Plant Leaves/microbiology , Subcellular Fractions/metabolism , Nicotiana/microbiology
8.
Methods Mol Biol ; 975: 109-37, 2013.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23386299

ABSTRACT

Plants employ a large variety of defense strategies to resist herbivores, which require transcriptional reprogramming of cells and profound changes in plant metabolism. Due to the large number of genes involved in defense processes, rapid screening strategies are essential for elucidating the contributions of individual genes in the responses of plants to herbivory. However, databases and seed banks of mutant plants which allow rapid retrieval of mutant genotypes are limited to a few model plant species, namely, Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa (rice). In other plants, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) offers an efficient alternative for screening the functions of individual genes in order to prioritize the allocations of the large time investments required to establish stably transformed RNAi-silenced lines. With VIGS, it is usually possible to achieve strong, specific silencing of target genes in the ecological models Nicotiana attenuata and Solanum nigrum, allowing the rapid assessment of gene silencing effects on phytohormone accumulation, signal transduction and accumulation of defense metabolites. VIGS plants are also useful in bioassays with specialist and generalist herbivores, allowing direct verification of gene function in plant resistance to herbivores.


Subject(s)
Gene Knockdown Techniques/methods , Herbivory , Nicotiana/genetics , Agrobacterium tumefaciens/genetics , Agrobacterium tumefaciens/virology , Animals , Cloning, Molecular , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Genes, Plant , Genetic Vectors , Plant Growth Regulators/genetics , Plant Growth Regulators/metabolism , Plant Viruses/genetics , Plasmids/genetics , RNA Interference , Seedlings/genetics , Seedlings/virology , Nicotiana/virology , Transformation, Bacterial
9.
Plant Signal Behav ; 8(4): e23537, 2013 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23333980

ABSTRACT

Nicotiana attenuata HSPRO (NaHSPRO) is a negative regulator of seedling growth promoted by the fungus Piriformospora indica. Homologs of NaHSPRO in Arabidopsis thaliana (i.e., AtHSPRO1 and AtHSPRO2) are known to physically interact with the AKINßγ subunit of the SnRK1 complex. To investigate whether NaHSPRO is associated with SnRK1 function during the stimulation of seedling growth by P. indica, we studied N. attenuata plants silenced in the expression of NaGAL83 (as-gal83 plants)--a gene that encodes for the regulatory ß-subunit of SnRK1--and plants silenced in the expression of both NaHSPRO and NaGAL83 (ir-hspro/as-gal83 plants). The results showed that P. indica differentially stimulated the growth of both as-gal83 and ir-hspro/as-gal83 seedlings compared with control seedlings, with a magnitude similar to that observed in ir-hspro seedlings. Thus, we showed that, similar to NaHSPRO, NaGAL83 is a negative regulator of seedling growth stimulated by P. indica. We propose that the effect of NaHSPRO on seedling growth is associated with SnRK1 signaling.


Subject(s)
Basidiomycota , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Genes, Plant , Nicotiana/genetics , Plant Proteins/genetics , Seedlings/growth & development , Symbiosis/genetics , Arabidopsis/genetics , Arabidopsis/metabolism , Arabidopsis Proteins/genetics , Arabidopsis Proteins/metabolism , Gene Silencing , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism , Signal Transduction , Nicotiana/growth & development , Nicotiana/metabolism , Nicotiana/microbiology
10.
PLoS One ; 7(11): e48050, 2012.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23185246

ABSTRACT

Jasmonate-mediated regulation of VOC emission has been extensively investigated in higher plants, however, only little is known about VOC production and its regulation in ferns. Here, we investigate whether the emission of VOCs from bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum is triggered by herbivory and if so - whether it is regulated by the octadecanoid signaling pathway. Interestingly, feeding of both generalist (Spodoptera littoralis) and specialist (Strongylogaster multifasciata) herbivores as well as application of singular and continuous mechanical wounding of fronds induced only very low levels of VOC emission. In contrast, treatment with jasmonic acid (JA) led to the emission of a blend of VOCs that was mainly comprised of terpenoids. Likewise, treatment with the JA precursor 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA) and α-linolenic acid also induced VOC emission, albeit to a lower intesity than the JA treatment. Accumulation of endogenous JA was low in mechanically wounded fronds and these levels were unaffected by the application of oral secretions from both generalist or specialist herbivores. The emission of terpenoids upon JA treatment could be blocked with fosmidomycin and mevinolin, which are inhibitors of the MEP- and MVA pathways, respectively. These results indicate that similar to higher plants, terpenoid VOCs are produced via these pathways in bracken fern and that these pathways are JA-responsive. However, the very low amounts of terpenoids released after herbivory or mechanical damage are in stark contrast to what is known from higher plants. We speculate that S. multifasciata and S. littoralis feeding apparently did not induce the threshold levels of JA required for activating the MEP and MVA pathways and the subsequent volatile emission in bracken fern.


Subject(s)
Cyclopentanes/pharmacology , Herbivory , Hymenoptera/physiology , Oxylipins/pharmacology , Pteridium/metabolism , Pteridium/parasitology , Spodoptera/physiology , Volatile Organic Compounds/metabolism , Animals , Confidence Intervals , Fosfomycin/analogs & derivatives , Fosfomycin/pharmacology , Herbivory/drug effects , Hymenoptera/drug effects , Lovastatin/pharmacology , Oxylipins/metabolism , Pteridium/drug effects , Spodoptera/drug effects , Time Factors
11.
Plant Physiol ; 160(2): 929-43, 2012 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22892352

ABSTRACT

In a previous study aimed at identifying regulators of Nicotiana attenuata responses against chewing insects, a 26-nucleotide tag matching the HSPRO (ORTHOLOG OF SUGAR BEET Hs1(pro)(-)(1)) gene was found to be strongly induced after simulated herbivory (Gilardoni et al., 2010). Here we characterized the function of HSPRO during biotic interactions in transgenic N. attenuata plants silenced in its expression (ir-hspro). In wild-type plants, HSPRO expression was not only induced during simulated herbivory but also when leaves were inoculated with Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 and roots with the growth-promoting fungus Piriformospora indica. Reduced HSPRO expression did not affect the regulation of direct defenses against Manduca sexta herbivory or P. syringae pv tomato DC3000 infection rates. However, reduced HSPRO expression positively influenced early seedling growth during interaction with P. indica; fungus-colonized ir-hspro seedlings increased their fresh biomass by 30% compared with the wild type. Grafting experiments demonstrated that reduced HSPRO expression in roots was sufficient to induce differential growth promotion in both roots and shoots. This effect was accompanied by changes in the expression of 417 genes in colonized roots, most of which were metabolic genes. The lack of major differences in the metabolic profiles of ir-hspro and wild-type colonized roots (as analyzed by liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry) suggested that accelerated metabolic rates were involved. We conclude that HSPRO participates in a whole-plant change in growth physiology when seedlings interact with P. indica.


Subject(s)
Basidiomycota/physiology , Nicotiana/microbiology , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Seedlings/growth & development , Agrobacterium tumefaciens/genetics , Agrobacterium tumefaciens/metabolism , Animals , Cell Death , Gene Expression Profiling , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Gene Silencing , Genes, Plant , Herbivory , Manduca , Metabolome , Plant Diseases/microbiology , Plant Growth Regulators/genetics , Plant Growth Regulators/metabolism , Plant Leaves/growth & development , Plant Leaves/metabolism , Plant Leaves/microbiology , Plant Proteins/genetics , Plant Roots/growth & development , Plant Roots/metabolism , Plant Roots/microbiology , Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics , Plants, Genetically Modified/metabolism , Plants, Genetically Modified/microbiology , Pseudomonas syringae/pathogenicity , RNA, Messenger/genetics , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , Seedlings/metabolism , Seedlings/microbiology , Sequence Analysis, Protein , Spodoptera , Nicotiana/genetics , Nicotiana/metabolism
12.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 109(24): E1548-57, 2012 Jun 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22615404

ABSTRACT

Choice of host plants by phytophagous insects is essential for their survival and reproduction. This choice involves complex behavioral responses to a variety of physical and chemical characteristics of potential plants for feeding. For insects of the order Hemiptera, these behavioral responses involve a series of steps including labial dabbing and probing using their piercing mouthparts. These initial probing and feeding attempts also elicit a rapid accumulation of phytohormones, such as jasmonic acid (JA), and the induced defense metabolites they mediate. When Nicotiana attenuata plants are rendered JA deficient by silencing the initial committed step of the JA biosynthesis pathway, they are severely attacked in nature by hemipteran leafhoppers of the genus Empoasca. By producing N. attenuata plants silenced in multiple steps of JA biosynthesis and perception and in the biosynthesis of the plant's three major classes of JA-inducible insecticidal defenses, we demonstrate that the choice of plants for feeding by Empoasca leafhoppers in both nature and the glasshouse is independent of the accumulation of major insecticidal molecules. Moreover, this choice is independent of the presence of Candidatus Phytoplasma spp. and is not associated with detectable changes in plant volatiles but instead depends on the plant's capacity to mediate JA signaling. We exploited this trait and used Empoasca leafhoppers to reveal genetic variation in JA accumulation and signaling hidden in N. attenuata natural populations.


Subject(s)
Cyclopentanes/metabolism , Hemiptera/physiology , Mutation , Nicotiana/parasitology , Oxylipins/metabolism , Animals , Gene Silencing , Hemiptera/genetics , Signal Transduction , Nicotiana/genetics , Volatilization
13.
BMC Plant Biol ; 12: 60, 2012 May 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22548747

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The N. attenuata HD20 gene belongs to the homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) type I family of transcription factors and it has been previously associated with the regulation of ABA accumulation in leaves and the emission of benzyl acetone (BA; 4-phenyl-2-butanone) from night flowers. In this study, N. attenuata plants stably reduced in the expression of HD20 (ir-hd20) were generated to investigate the mechanisms controlling the emission of BA from night flowers. RESULTS: The expression of HD20 in corollas of ir-hd20 plants was reduced by 85 to 90% compared to wild-type plants (WT) without affecting flower morphology and development. Total BA emitted from flowers of ir-hd20 plants was reduced on average by 60%. This reduction occurred mainly at the late phase of BA emission and it was correlated with 2-fold higher levels of ABA in the corollas of ir-hd20 plants. When a 2-fold decline in ABA corolla levels of these plants was induced by salt stress, BA emissions recovered to WT levels. Supplying ABA to WT flowers either through the cuticle or by pedicle feeding reduced the total BA emissions by 25 to 50%; this reduction occurred primarily at the late phase of emission (similar to the reduction observed in corollas of ir-hd20 plants). Gene expression profiling of corollas collected at 12 pm (six hours before the start of BA emission) revealed that 274 genes changed expression levels significantly in ir-hd20 plants compared to WT. Among these genes, more than 35% were associated with metabolism and the most prominent group was associated with the metabolism of aromatic compounds and phenylpropanoid derivatives. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that regulation of ABA levels in corollas is associated with the late phase of BA emission in N. attenuata plants and that HD20 affects this latter process by mediating changes in both ABA levels and metabolic gene expression.


Subject(s)
Abscisic Acid/metabolism , Acetone/analogs & derivatives , Flowers/chemistry , Homeodomain Proteins/genetics , Nicotiana/metabolism , Plant Proteins/genetics , RNA Interference , Transcription Factors/genetics , Acetone/chemistry , Acetone/metabolism , Flowers/genetics , Flowers/growth & development , Flowers/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Gene Silencing , Homeodomain Proteins/chemistry , Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism , Leucine Zippers , Molecular Sequence Data , Plant Proteins/chemistry , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Nicotiana/chemistry , Nicotiana/genetics , Nicotiana/growth & development , Transcription Factors/chemistry , Transcription Factors/metabolism
14.
Plant Signal Behav ; 6(12): 2060-3, 2011 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22105024

ABSTRACT

The Nicotiana attenuata LECTIN RECEPTOR KINASE 1 (LecRK1) has been recently identified as a component of the mechanism used by plants to suppress the Manduca sexta-triggered accumulation of salicylic acid (SA). The suppression of the SA burst by LecRK1 allows for the unfettered induction of jasmonic acid (JA)-mediated defense responses against M. sexta herbivory. LecRK1 contains a multi-domain extracellular region composed of a G-type Lectin domain and a PAN-AP domain separated by a variable sequence with low similarity to an EGF domain. The LecRK1 intracellular region is composed of a single domain structure with predicted Ser/Thr protein kinase activity. The multi-domain structure of the extracellular region of LecRK1 adds a level of complexity in terms of the potential ligands that this receptor protein could recognize.


Subject(s)
Herbivory , Manduca/physiology , Nicotiana/enzymology , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism , Animals , Cyclopentanes/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Ligands , Oxylipins/metabolism , Plant Proteins/genetics , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics , Nicotiana/genetics
15.
Plant Cell Environ ; 34(12): 2159-71, 2011 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21883286

ABSTRACT

Jasmonate signalling plays a central role in activating the plethora of responses that are elicited by herbivory. Solanum nigrum plants silenced in the expression of genes involved in jasmonic acid biosynthesis (irlox3), conjugation (irjar4) and perception (ircoi1) were used to study the function of these genes in the field and in the regulation of transcriptional and metabolic responses. In the field, damage from Noctuidea larvae was four- to fivefold higher on irlox3 and ircoi1 than on wild-type (WT) plants, whereas damage to irjar4 plants was similar to WT levels. Damage rates reflected plant survival rates; fewer irlox3 (78%) and ircoi1 (22%) plants survived compared with irjar4 and WT plants of which all plants survived. Gene expression profiling in leaves 3 h after simulated herbivory revealed differential regulation of ∼700 genes in irlox3 and ircoi1 plants but of only six genes in irjar4 compared with WT plants. Surprisingly, transcriptional responses were not reflected in metabolomic responses; 48 h after simulated herbivory, irjar4 plants showed a 50% overlap in their metabolic profile with ircoi1 plants. Together, these results reveal that SnJAR4 does not play a direct role in herbivore defence, but suggests that SnJAR4 is involved in responses other than those to herbivory.


Subject(s)
Cyclopentanes/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Herbivory , Isoleucine/analogs & derivatives , Plant Growth Regulators/metabolism , Signal Transduction , Solanum nigrum/metabolism , Animals , Gene Expression Profiling , Gene Silencing , Isoleucine/metabolism , Larva , Manduca , Metabolome , Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis , Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics , Plants, Genetically Modified/metabolism , Solanum nigrum/genetics , Transcriptome
16.
Plant Cell ; 23(9): 3512-32, 2011 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21926334

ABSTRACT

Nicotiana attenuata has the capacity to respond specifically to herbivory by its natural herbivore, Manduca sexta, through the perception of elicitors in larval oral secretions. We demonstrate that Lectin receptor kinase 1 (LecRK1) functions during M. sexta herbivory to suppress the insect-mediated inhibition of jasmonic acid (JA)-induced defense responses. Gene function analysis performed by reducing LecRK1 expression in N. attenuata by both virus-induced gene silencing and inverted repeated RNA interference (ir-lecRK1 plants) revealed that LecRK1 was essential to mount a full defense response against M. sexta folivory; larvae growing on ir-lecRK1 plants were 40 to 100% larger than those growing on wild-type plants. The insect-induced accumulation of nicotine, diterpene-glucosides, and trypsin protease inhibitors, as well as the expression of Thr deaminase, was severalfold reduced in ir-lecRK1 plants compared with the wild type. The accumulation of JA and JA-Ile was unaffected during herbivory in ir-lecRK1 plants; however, salicylic acid (SA) accumulation was increased by twofold. The expression of nahG in ir-lecRK1 plants prevented the increased accumulation of SA and restored the defense response against M. sexta herbivory. The results suggest that LecRK1 inhibits the accumulation of SA during herbivory, although other mechanisms may also be affected.


Subject(s)
Herbivory , Manduca/physiology , Nicotiana/enzymology , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism , Animals , Cloning, Molecular , Cyclopentanes/metabolism , DNA, Plant/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Gene Silencing , Metabolome , Molecular Sequence Data , Oxylipins/metabolism , Plant Proteins/genetics , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics , Salicylic Acid/metabolism , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Nicotiana/genetics
17.
New Phytol ; 191(4): 1054-1068, 2011 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21615741

ABSTRACT

In response to diverse stresses, the hydroperoxide lyase (HPL) pathway produces C(6) aldehydes and 12-oxo-(9Z )-dodecenoic acid ((9Z )-traumatin). Since the original characterization of (10E )-traumatin and traumatic acid, little has been added to our knowledge of the metabolism and fluxes associated with the conversion of (9Z )-traumatin into diverse products in response to wounding and herbivory. A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed to quantify C(12) derivatives of the HPL pathway and to determine their metabolism after wounding and simulated herbivory in Nicotiana attenuata leaves. Ninety-eight per cent of the (9Z )-traumatin produced was converted to 9-hydroxy-(10E )-traumatin (9-OH-traumatin); two-thirds by product recycling through lipoxygenase-2 (NaLOX2) activity and one-third by nonenzymatic oxidation. Thirty-eight per cent of the de novo produced 9-OH-traumatin was conjugated to glutathione, consistent with this oxylipin being a reactive electrophile species. 12-OH-(9Z )-dodecenoic and dodecenedioic acids also showed rapid increases after wounding and simulated herbivory and a role for C(12) derivatives as signals in these processes was consistent with their ability to elicit substantial changes in gene expression. These results underscore the importance of metabolite reflux through LOX2, an insight which creates new opportunities for a functional understanding of C(12) derivatives of the HPL pathway in the regulation of stress responses.


Subject(s)
Aldehyde-Lyases/metabolism , Carbon/metabolism , Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/metabolism , Lipoxygenase/metabolism , Nicotiana/enzymology , Plant Leaves/metabolism , Biosynthetic Pathways , Chromatography, Liquid/methods , Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Genes, Plant , Glutathione/metabolism , Lipoxygenase/genetics , Oxidation-Reduction , Oxylipins/metabolism , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Nicotiana/chemistry , Nicotiana/genetics
18.
Plant Cell Environ ; 34(9): 1507-20, 2011 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21554327

ABSTRACT

The activation of enzymatic oxylipin biosynthesis upon wounding, herbivory and pathogen attack depends on the biochemical activation of lipases that make polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) available to lipoxygenases (LOXs). The identity and number of the lipases involved in this process remain controversial and they probably differ among plant species. Analysis of transgenic Nicotiana attenuata plants (ir-gla1) stably reduced in the expression of the NaGLA1 gene showed that this plastidial glycerolipase is a major supplier of trienoic fatty acids for jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis in leaves and roots after wounding and simulated herbivory, but not during infection with the oomycete Phytophthora parasitica (var. nicotianae). NaGLA1 was not essential for the developmental control of JA biosynthesis in flowers and for the biosynthesis of C(6) volatiles by the hydroperoxide lyase (HPL) pathway; however, it affected the metabolism of divinyl ethers (DVEs) early during infection with P. parasitica (var. nicotianae) and the accumulation of NaDES1 and NaLOX1 mRNAs. Profiling of lysolipids by LC-MS/MS was consistent with a rapid activation of NaGLA1 and indicated that this lipase utilizes different lipid classes as substrates. The results revealed the complexity and specificity of the regulation of lipase-mediated oxylipin biosynthesis, highlighting the existence of pathway- and stimulus-specific lipases.


Subject(s)
Cyclopentanes/metabolism , Lipase/metabolism , Nicotiana/enzymology , Oxylipins/metabolism , Plant Growth Regulators/metabolism , Plant Leaves/enzymology , Plant Roots/enzymology , Aldehyde-Lyases/genetics , Aldehyde-Lyases/metabolism , Animals , Base Sequence , Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/genetics , Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/metabolism , Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/metabolism , Flowers/enzymology , Flowers/genetics , Flowers/physiology , Fusarium/physiology , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Herbivory , Insecta , Lipase/genetics , Molecular Sequence Data , Phytophthora/physiology , Plant Leaves/genetics , Plant Leaves/physiology , Plant Proteins/genetics , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Plant Roots/genetics , Plant Roots/physiology , Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics , Plants, Genetically Modified/metabolism , Reproduction , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Nicotiana/genetics , Nicotiana/microbiology , Nicotiana/physiology , Vinyl Compounds/metabolism , Volatile Organic Compounds/metabolism
19.
Trends Plant Sci ; 16(6): 294-9, 2011 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21354852

ABSTRACT

The recognition of insect and pathogen attack requires the plant's ability to perceive chemical cues generated by the attacker. In contrast to the recognition of microbe-associated molecular patterns and effectors, little is known about the molecular recognition of herbivore-associated elicitors (HAEs) and the signaling mechanisms operating in plants after their perception. HAE perception depends strongly on the natural history of both plants and insects and it is therefore expected that many of the responses induced by different HAEs are specific to the species involved in the interaction. The interaction between Nicotiana attenuata and the specialist lepidopteran Manduca sexta presents a relevant biological system to understand HAE perception and signal transduction systems in plants.


Subject(s)
Glutamine/analogs & derivatives , Nicotiana/metabolism , Plant Leaves/metabolism , Signal Transduction , alpha-Linolenic Acid/analogs & derivatives , Animals , Cyclopentanes/metabolism , Feeding Behavior , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Genes, Plant , Glutamine/metabolism , Host-Parasite Interactions , Linolenic Acids/metabolism , Manduca/physiology , Oxylipins/metabolism , Plant Leaves/parasitology , Nicotiana/genetics , Nicotiana/parasitology , alpha-Linolenic Acid/metabolism
20.
New Phytol ; 190(3): 640-52, 2011 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21284648

ABSTRACT

• Jasmonates are ubiquitous messengers in land plants essential for the activation of defense responses. However, their signaling properties, accumulation and metabolism vary substantially among species. Solanum nigrum is a wild Solanaceous species developed as a model to study defense responses. • Solanum nigrum plants transformed to silence the expression of key genes in jasmonate production (SnLOX3), conjugation (SnJAR4) and perception (SnCOI1) were generated to analyze the function of these genes in jasmonate accumulation and metabolism (studied by a combination of LC-MS/MS and (13) C-isotope labeling methods) and in signaling [studied by the systemic elicitation of leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) activity]. • In contrast with the early single jasmonic acid (JA) burst induced by wounding in wild-type (WT) plants, elicitation with insect oral secretions induced a later, second burst that was essential for the induction of systemic LAP activity, as demonstrated by ablation experiments. This induction was dependent on SnLOX3 and SnCOI1, but not on SnJAR4. In addition, the local accumulation of JA-glucose and JA-isoleucine was dependent on SnCOI1, whereas the accumulation of hydroxylated jasmonates was dependent on both SnCOI1 and SnJAR4. • The results demonstrate that SnLOX3, SnCOI1 and SnJAR4 have overlapping yet distinct roles in jasmonate signaling, differentially controlling jasmonate metabolism and the production of a systemic signal.


Subject(s)
Cyclopentanes/metabolism , Oxylipins/metabolism , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Signal Transduction , Solanum nigrum/metabolism , Animals , Cyclopentanes/chemistry , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Genes, Plant/genetics , Leucyl Aminopeptidase/metabolism , Manduca/physiology , Models, Biological , Oxylipins/chemistry , Plant Leaves/metabolism , Plants, Genetically Modified , RNA, Messenger/genetics , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , Solanum nigrum/enzymology , Solanum nigrum/genetics
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