ABSTRACT
Extreme temperatures threaten plant immunity by suppressing the salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis via unknown mechanisms. Kim et al. demonstrated that suppression of the SA pathway and plant immunity can be rescued by optimised expression of two master immune regulator(s), advancing our prospects for better protecting plants in a warming climate.
Subject(s)
Arabidopsis Proteins , Arabidopsis , Arabidopsis/metabolism , Salicylic Acid/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Plants/metabolism , Plant Immunity/genetics , Plant Diseases , Arabidopsis Proteins/metabolismABSTRACT
Gene silencing is a powerful tool utilized for identification of gene function and analysis in plants, animals, and fungi. Here, we report the silencing of superoxide dismutase (bcsod1) in Botrytis cinerea through sense and antisense-mediated silencing mechanisms. Because superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a virulence factor, transformants were tested for phenotypic silencing in vitro and reduction in pathogenicity in planta. Plate-based assays with and without paraquat were performed to screen initial silencing efficiency, and a subset of transformants was used for in planta studies of virulence. Transformants exhibiting strongly decreased transcripts levels were recovered with both constructs but none of those exhibited a reduction in virulence in planta. Our investigations may help optimize a high-throughput gene silencing system useful for identifying potential gene targets for future fungal control.
Subject(s)
Botrytis/enzymology , Fungal Proteins/genetics , RNA Interference , Superoxide Dismutase/genetics , Botrytis/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic , Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal , Models, GeneticABSTRACT
Colonies of Botrytis cinerea were obtained from spore samplers placed inside and outside a glasshouse with a rose crop. Pure cultures were made from five colonies collected on one sampling date every month throughout the year. These isolates were tested for germination on water agar and for pathogenicity on gerbera and rose petals. The germination rate of the conidia on water agar varied between 60 and 99%. Pathogenicity of the isolates on gerbera and rose flowers ranged from 14 to 166% relative to reference isolate Bc16 and varied among isolates collected on the same day as much as among isolates collected in different months. The pathogenicity of the isolates on rose flowers was overall higher than on gerbera flowers. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was performed on 30 selected isolates with different relative pathogenicity, collected both inside and outside the glasshouse. Almost all of the isolates were genetically different. No correlation was found among pathogenicity, sampling time, sampling place, and RAPD patterns. Results are further evidence for the statement that B. cinerea inoculum in glasshouses continuously originates from many different sources in their vicinity.
