Stomatal penetration: the cornerstone of plant resistance to the fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici.

BACKGROUND: Septoria tritici blotch (STB), caused by the foliar fungus Zymoseptoria tritici, is one of the most damaging disease of wheat in Europe. Genetic resistance against this fungus relies on different types of resistance from non-host resistance (NHR) and host species specific resistance (HSSR) to host resistance mediated by quantitative trait loci (QTLs) or major resistance genes (Stb). Characterizing the diversity of theses resistances is of great importance for breeding wheat cultivars with efficient and durable resistance. While the functional mechanisms underlying these resistance types are not well understood, increasing piece of evidence suggest that fungus stomatal penetration and early establishment in the apoplast are both crucial for the outcome of some interactions between Z. tritici and plants. To validate and extend these previous observations, we conducted quantitative comparative phenotypical and cytological analyses of the infection process corresponding to 22 different interactions between plant species and Z. tritici isolates. These interactions included four major bread wheat Stb genes, four bread wheat accessions with contrasting quantitative resistance, two species resistant to Z. tritici isolates from bread wheat (HSSR) and four plant species resistant to all Z. tritici isolates (NHR). RESULTS: Infiltration of Z. tritici spores into plant leaves allowed the partial bypass of all bread wheat resistances and durum wheat resistance, but not resistances from other plants species. Quantitative comparative cytological analysis showed that in the non-grass plant Nicotiana benthamiana, Z. tritici was stopped before stomatal penetration. By contrast, in all resistant grass plants, Z. tritici was stopped, at least partly, during stomatal penetration. The intensity of this early plant control process varied depending on resistance types, quantitative resistances being the least effective. These analyses also demonstrated that Stb-mediated resistances, HSSR and NHR, but not quantitative resistances, relied on the strong growth inhibition of the few Z. tritici penetrating hyphae at their entry point in the sub-stomatal cavity. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to furnishing a robust quantitative cytological assessment system, our study uncovered three stopping patterns of Z. tritici by plant resistances. Stomatal resistance was found important for most resistances to Z. tritici, independently of its type (Stb, HSSR, NHR). These results provided a basis for the functional analysis of wheat resistance to Z. tritici and its improvement.

Light- and Relative Humidity-Regulated Hypersensitive Cell Death and Plant Immunity in Chinese Cabbage Leaves by a Non-adapted Bacteria Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria.

Inoculation of Chinese cabbage leaves with high titer (107 cfu/ml) of the non-adapted bacteria Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv) strain Bv5-4a.1 triggered rapid leaf tissue collapses and hypersensitive cell death (HCD) at 24 h. Electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation markedly increased in the Xcv-inoculated leaves. Defence-related gene expressions (BrPR1, BrPR4, BrChi1, BrGST1 and BrAPX1) were preferentially activated in the Xcv-inoculated leaves. The Xcv-triggered HCD was attenuated by continuous light but accelerated by a dark environment, and the prolonged high relative humidity also alleviated the HCD. Constant dark and increased relative humidity provided favorable conditions for the Xcv bacterial growth in the leaves. Pretreated fluridone (biosynthetic inhibitor of endogenous abscisic acid [ABA]) increased the HCD in the Xcv-inoculated leaves, but exogenous ABA attenuated the HCD. The pretreated ABA also reduced the Xcv bacterial growth in the leaves. These results highlight that the onset of HCD in Chinese cabbage leaves initiated by non-adapted pathogen Xcv Bv5-4a.1 and in planta bacterial growth was differently modulated by internal and external conditional changes.

Tyramine-Mediated Hyperactivity Modulates the Dietary Habits in Helicoverpa armigera.

Helicoverpa armigera exhibits extensive variability in feeding habits and food selection. Neuronal regulation of H. armigera feeding behavior is primarily influenced by biogenic amines such as Tyramine (TA) and Octopamine (OA). The molecular responses of H. armigera to dietary challenges in the presence of TA or OA have yet to be studied. This investigation dissects the impact of OA and TA on H. armigera feeding choices and behaviors under non-host nutritional stress. It has been observed that feeding behavior remains unaltered during the exogenous administration of OA and TA through an artificial diet (AD). Ingestion of higher OA or TA concentrations leads to increased mortality. OA and TA treatment in combination with host and non-host diets results in the induction of feeding and higher locomotion toward food, particularly in the case of TA treatment. Increased expression of markers, prominin-like, and tachykinin-related peptide receptor-like transcripts further assessed increased locomotion activity. Insects subjected to a non-host diet with TA treatment exhibited increased feeding and overexpression of the feeding indicator, the Neuropeptide F receptor, and the feeding regulator, Sulfakinin, compared with other conditions. Expression of sensation and biogenic amine synthesis genesis elevated in insects fed a non-host diet in combination with OA or TA. Metabolomics analysis revealed a decreased concentration of the feeding behavior elicitor, dopamine, in insects fed a non-host diet containing TA. This work highlights the complex interplay between biogenic amine functions during dietary stress and suggests the role of tyramine in feeding promotion under stressed conditions.

Specificity and breadth of plant specialized metabolite-microbe interactions.

Plant specialized metabolites shape plant interactions with the environment including plant-microbe interactions. While we often group compounds into generic classes, it is the precise structure of a compound that creates a specific role in plant-microbe or-pathogen interactions. Critically, the structure guides definitive targets in individual interactions, yet single compounds are not limited to singular mechanistic targets allowing them to influence interactions across broad ranges of attackers, from bacteria to fungi to animals. Further, the direction of the effect can be altered by counter evolution within the interacting organism leading to single compounds being both beneficial and detrimental. Thus, the benefit of a single compound to a host needs to be assessed by measuring the net benefit across all interactions while in each specific interaction. Factoring this complexity for single compounds in plant-microbe interactions with the massive expansion in our identification of specialized metabolite pathways means that we need systematic studies to classify the full breadth of activities. Only with this full biological knowledge we can develop mechanistic, ecological, and evolutionary models to understand how plant specialized metabolites fully influence plant-microbe and plant-biotic interactions more broadly.

A Commercial Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Inoculum Alleviated the Effects of Acid Water on Lupinus angustifolius Grown in a Sterilized Mining Dump.

Lupinus species have been sporadically reported to be colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The interactions between AMF and lupine plants could also be non-symbiotic, from positive to negative, as controlled by the stress conditions of the plant. The goal of the study was to reveal the existence of such positive interactions and provide preliminary data for a myco-phytoremediation technology of mining dumps using L. angustifolius as a first crop. The objective was to test the hypothesis that the AMF inoculation of an acidified dump material contaminated with heavy metals would improve the growth of L. angustifolius and decrease oxidative stress. The design consisted of a one-month bivariate pot experiment with plants grown in a mining dump soil inoculated and not inoculated with a commercial AMF inoculum sequestered in expanded clay and watered with acidic and neutral water. There was no AMF root colonization under the experimental conditions, but under neutral and acidic water conditions, the phosphorus concentrations in roots and leaves increased, and the superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities significantly decreased due to AMF inoculation. The increase in leaf phosphorus concentration was correlated with the decrease in peroxidase activity. The fresh weight of shoots and leaves significantly increased due to the commercial inoculum (under acidic water conditions). At the end of the experiment, the ammonium concentration in the substrate was higher in the inoculated treatments than in the not inoculated ones, and the concentrations of many elements in the dump material decreased compared to the start of the experiment. A comprehensive discussion of the potential mechanisms underlying the effects of the commercial AMF inoculum on the non-host L. angustifolius is completed.

Molecular Interplay between Non-Host Resistance, Pathogens and Basal Immunity as a Background for Fatal Yellowing in Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) Plants.

An oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) bud rod disorder of unknown etiology, named Fatal Yellowing (FY) disease, is regarded as one of the top constraints with respect to the growth of the palm oil industry in Brazil. FY etiology has been a challenge embraced by several research groups in plant pathology throughout the last 50 years in Brazil, with no success in completing Koch's postulates. Most recently, the hypothesis of having an abiotic stressor as the initial cause of FY has gained ground, and oxygen deficiency (hypoxia) damaging the root system has become a candidate for stress. Here, a comprehensive, large-scale, single- and multi-omics integration analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome profiles on the leaves of oil palm plants contrasting in terms of FY symptomatology-asymptomatic and symptomatic-and collected in two distinct seasons-dry and rainy-is reported. The changes observed in the physicochemical attributes of the soil and the chemical attributes and metabolome profiles of the leaves did not allow the discrimination of plants which were asymptomatic or symptomatic for this disease, not even in the rainy season, when the soil became waterlogged. However, the multi-omics integration analysis of enzymes and metabolites differentially expressed in asymptomatic and/or symptomatic plants in the rainy season compared to the dry season allowed the identification of the metabolic pathways most affected by the changes in the environment, opening an opportunity for additional characterization of the role of hypoxia in FY symptom intensification. Finally, the initial analysis of a set of 56 proteins/genes differentially expressed in symptomatic plants compared to the asymptomatic ones, independent of the season, has presented pieces of evidence suggesting that breaks in the non-host resistance to non-adapted pathogens and the basal immunity to adapted pathogens, caused by the anaerobic conditions experienced by the plants, might be linked to the onset of this disease. This set of genes might offer the opportunity to develop biomarkers for selecting oil palm plants resistant to this disease and to help pave the way to employing strategies to keep the safety barriers raised and strong.

The attractive host volatiles can enhance oviposition of Anoplophora glabripennis on a non-host tree.

BACKGROUND: The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), Anoplophora glabripennis, is a serious wood borer of hardwood trees. Populus deltoides 'Shalinyang' (PdS) is attractive to ALB adults for oviposition but highly resistant to their offspring. Investigation of the chemicals regulating ALB oviposition is scarce in previous studies until now. To determine which chemicals emitted by PdS were attractive and induced oviposition behavior by ALB on non-host poplar tree species, we first: collected and identified the bio-active volatiles produced by PdS using coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and coupled gas chromatography-electroantennographic detector (GC-EAD); then evaluated which chemicals were attractive in a Y-tube olfactometer bioassay; and finally screened key compounds affecting ALB oviposition using a 'chemical-stimulated oviposition on non-host tree' bioassay. RESULTS: (E)-2-Hexenal, hexyl acetate, (Z)-3-hexenol acetate, 1-hexanol, (Z)-3-hexenol, ß-caryophyllene, and salicylaldehyde emitted from PdS were attractive to ALB. When (E)-2-hexenal, 1-hexanol, (Z)-3-hexenol acetate, and (Z)-3-hexenol were applied to the non-host tree Populus tomentosa, oviposition by ALB females was significantly increased. Furthermore, the mean number of oviposition pits increased as the (Z)-3-hexenol concentrations increased. Further tests on synergy between pairs of chemicals showed that (Z)-3-hexenol stimulated production of the most oviposition pits, but that the percentage of effective oviposition pits (those containing an egg and larva and not empty) decreased. CONCLUSION: (Z)-3-Hexenol is the main chemical component inducing ALB oviposition. These results increase understanding about the oviposition behavior of ALB and could help improve management strategies that regulate ALB behavior by planting mixed-species forests resistant to ALB. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Competitive interactions in two different plant species: Do grassland mycorrhizal communities and nitrogen addition play the same game?

In the Tibetan Plateau grassland ecosystems, nitrogen (N) availability is rising dramatically; however, the influence of higher N on the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) might impact on plant competitive interactions. Therefore, understanding the part played by AMF in the competition between Vicia faba and Brassica napus and its dependence on the N-addition status is necessary. To address this, a glasshouse experiment was conducted to examine whether the grassland AMF community's inocula (AMF and NAMF) and N-addition levels (N-0 and N-15) alter plant competition between V. faba and B. napus. Two harvests took day 45 (1st harvest) and day 90 (2nd harvest), respectively. The findings showed that compared to B. napus, AMF inoculation significantly improved the competitive potential of the V. faba. In the occurrence of AMF, V. faba was the strongest competitor being facilitated by B. napus in both harvests. While under N-15, AMF significantly enhanced tissue N:P ratio in B. napus mixed-culture at 1st harvest, the opposite trend was observed in 2nd harvest. The mycorrhizal growth dependency slightly negatively affected mixed-culture compared to monoculture under both N-addition treatments. The aggressivity index of AMF plants was higher than NAMF plants with both N-addition and harvests. Our observation highlights that mycorrhizal associations might facilitate host plant species in mixed-culture with non-host plant species. Additionally, interacting with N-addition, AMF could impact the competitive ability of the host plant not only directly but also indirectly, thereby changing the growth and nutrient uptake of competing plant species.

The genome of Lactuca saligna, a wild relative of lettuce, provides insight into non-host resistance to the downy mildew Bremia lactucae.

Lactuca saligna L. is a wild relative of cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), with which it is partially interfertile. Hybrid progeny suffer from hybrid incompatibility (HI), resulting in reduced fertility and distorted transmission ratios. Lactuca saligna displays broad-spectrum resistance against lettuce downy mildew caused by Bremia lactucae Regel and is considered a non-host species. This phenomenon of resistance in L. saligna is called non-host resistance (NHR). One possible mechanism behind this NHR is through the plant-pathogen interaction triggered by pathogen recognition receptors, including nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins and receptor-like kinases (RLKs). We report a chromosome-level genome assembly of L. saligna (accession CGN05327), leading to the identification of two large paracentric inversions (>50 Mb) between L. saligna and L. sativa. Genome-wide searches delineated the major resistance clusters as regions enriched in NLRs and RLKs. Three of the enriched regions co-locate with previously identified NHR intervals. RNA-seq analysis of Bremia-infected lettuce identified several differentially expressed RLKs in NHR regions. Three tandem wall-associated kinase-encoding genes (WAKs) in the NHR8 interval display particularly high expression changes at an early stage of infection. We propose RLKs as strong candidates for determinants of the NHR phenotype of L. saligna.

Infected grasses as inoculum for Fusarium infestation and mycotoxin accumulation in wheat with and without irrigation.

Grasses growing next to agricultural fields influence the Fusarium abundance, the species composition, and the mycotoxin accumulation of wheat plants, especially the field parts directly adjacent to grasses, are highly affected. Grasses are a more attractive and suitable habitat for Fusarium fungi compared to other arable weeds and occur at mostly every semi-natural landscape element (e.g., kettle holes, hedgerows, field-to-field-borders). In our study, we analyzed the ability of a highly Fusarium infected grass stripe (F. graminearum, F. culmorum, F. sporotrichioides) to infect an adjacent wheat field with these species. Results show that the primary inoculated Fusarium species were as well the dominant species isolated from the wheat field. Regarding transects originating from the grass stripe going into the field, the results demonstrate that wheat ears next to the infected grass stripe have a higher Fusarium abundance and furthermore show higher mycotoxin accumulation in the wheat kernels. This effect was highly promoted by irrigation. Therefore, grass stripes next to arable fields must be considered as reservoirs for fungal infections and as a source for a contamination with mycotoxins.

The Synthesis and Assembly of a Truncated Cyanophage Genome and Its Expression in a Heterogenous Host.

Cyanophages play an important role in regulating the dynamics of cyanobacteria communities in the hydrosphere, representing a promising biological control strategy for cyanobacterial blooms. Nevertheless, most cyanophages are host-specific, making it difficult to control blooming cyanobacteria via single or multiple cyanophages. In order to address the issue, we explore the interaction between cyanophages and their heterologous hosts, with the aim of revealing the principles of designing and constructing an artificial cyanophage genome towards multiple cyanobacterial hosts. In the present study, we use synthetic biological approaches to assess the impact of introducing a fragment of cyanophage genome into a heterologous cyanobacterium under a variety of environmental conditions. Based on a natural cyanophage A-4L genome (41,750 bp), a truncated cyanophage genome Syn-A-4-8 is synthesized and assembled in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that a 351-15,930 bp area of the A-4L genome has a fragment that is lethal to Escherichia coli during the process of attempting to assemble the full-length A-4L genome. Syn-A-4-8 was successfully introduced into E. coli and then transferred into the model cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 (Syn7942) via conjugation. Although no significant phenotypes of Syn7942 carrying Syn-A-4-8 (LS-02) could be observed under normal conditions, its growth exhibited a prolonged lag phase compared to that of the control strain under 290-millimolar NaCl stress. Finally, the mechanisms of altered salt tolerance in LS-02 were revealed through comparative transcriptomics, and ORF25 and ORF26 on Syn-A-4-8 turned out to be the key genes causing the phenotype. Our research represents an important attempt in designing artificial cyanophages towards multiple hosts, and offers new future insights into the control of cyanobacterial blooms.

Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of the parasitic plant Cuscuta japonica Choisy on host and non-host plants.

BACKGROUND: Cuscuta japonica Choisy (Japanese dodder) is a parasitic weed that damages many plants and affects agricultural production. The haustorium of C. japonica plays a key role during parasitism in host plants; in contrast, some non-host plants effectively inhibit its formation. However, the metabolic differences between normal dodder in host plants and dodder inhibition in non-host plants are largely unknown. Here, we utilized an integrative analysis of transcriptomes and metabolomes to compare the differential regulatory mechanisms between C. japonica interacting with the host plant Ficus microcarpa and the non-host plant Mangifera indica. RESULTS: After parasitization for 24 h and 72 h, the differentially abundant metabolites between these two treatments were enriched in pathways associated with α-linolenic acid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and pyrimidine metabolism. At the transcriptome level, the flavor biosynthesis pathway was significantly enriched at 24 h, whereas the plant-pathogen interaction, arginine and proline metabolism, and MARK signaling-plant pathways were significantly enriched at 72 h, based on the differentially expressed genes between these two treatments. Subsequent temporal analyses identified multiple genes and metabolites that showed different trends in dodder interactions between the host and non-host plants. In particular, the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway showed significant differential regulation between C. japonica in host and non-host plants. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide insights into the metabolic mechanisms of dodder-host interactions, which will facilitate future plant protection from C. japonica parasitism.

DspA/E-Triggered Non-Host Resistance against E. amylovora Depends on the Arabidopsis GLYCOLATE OXIDASE 2 Gene.

DspA/E is a type three effector injected by the pathogenic bacterium Erwinia amylovora inside plant cells. In non-host Arabidopsis thaliana, DspA/E inhibits seed germination, root growth, de novo protein synthesis and triggers localized cell death. To better understand the mechanisms involved, we performed EMS mutagenesis on a transgenic line, 13-1-2, containing an inducible dspA/E gene. We identified three suppressor mutants, two of which belonged to the same complementation group. Both were resistant to the toxic effects of DspA/E. Metabolome analysis showed that the 13-1-2 line was depleted in metabolites of the TCA cycle and accumulated metabolites associated with cell death and defense. TCA cycle and cell-death associated metabolite levels were respectively increased and reduced in both suppressor mutants compared to the 13-1-2 line. Whole genome sequencing indicated that both suppressor mutants displayed missense mutations in conserved residues of Glycolate oxidase 2 (GOX2), a photorespiratory enzyme that we confirmed to be localized in the peroxisome. Leaf GOX activity increased in leaves infected with E. amylovora in a DspA/E-dependent manner. Moreover, the gox2-2 KO mutant was more sensitive to E. amylovora infection and displayed reduced JA-signaling. Our results point to a role for glycolate oxidase in type II non-host resistance and to the importance of central metabolic functions in controlling growth/defense balance.

Virus Infection and Host Plant Suitability Affect Feeding Behaviors of Cannabis Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae), a Newly Described Vector of Potato Virus Y.

Aphids are the most prolific vectors of plant viruses resulting in significant yield losses to crops worldwide. Potato virus Y (PVY) is transmitted in a non-persistent manner by 65 species of aphids. With the increasing acreage of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) (Rosales: Cannabaceae) in the United States, we were interested to know if the cannabis aphid (Phorodon cannabis Passerini) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a potential vector of PVY. Here, we conduct transmission assays and utilize the electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique to determine whether cannabis aphids can transmit PVY to hemp (host) and potato (non-host) (Solanum tuberosum L.) (Solanales: Solanaceace). We show for the first time that the cannabis aphid is an efficient vector of PVY to both hemp (96% transmission rate) and potato (91%) using cohorts of aphids. In contrast, individual aphids transmitted the virus more efficiently to hemp (63%) compared to potato (19%). During the initial 15 min of EPG recordings, aphids demonstrated lower number and time spent performing intracellular punctures on potato compared to hemp, which may in part explain low virus transmission to potato using individual aphids. During the entire 8-hour recording, viruliferous aphids spent less time ingesting phloem compared to non-viruliferous aphids on hemp. This reduced host acceptance could potentially cause viruliferous aphids to disperse thereby increasing virus transmission. Overall, our study shows that cannabis aphid is an efficient vector of PVY, and that virus infection and host plant suitability affect feeding behaviors of the cannabis aphid in ways which may increase virus transmission.

Arabidopsis GOLD36/MVP1/ERMO3 Is Required for Powdery Mildew Penetration Resistance and Proper Targeting of the PEN3 Transporter.

The Arabidopsis PENETRATION 3 (PEN3) ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter contributes to penetration resistance against nonadapted powdery mildew fungi and is targeted to papillae deposited at sites of interaction with the fungus. Timely recruitment of PEN3 and other components of penetration resistance to the host-pathogen interface is important for successful defense against this biotrophic pathogen. A forward genetic screen was previously carried out to identify Arabidopsis mutants that mistarget the PEN3 transporter or fail to accumulate PEN3 at sites of attempted powdery mildew penetration. This study focuses on PEN3 mistargeting in the aberrant localization of PEN3 4 (alp4) mutant and identification of the causal gene. In the alp4 mutant, PEN3 accumulates within the endomembrane system in an apparently abnormal endoplasmic reticulum and is not exported into papillae at powdery mildew penetration sites. This targeting defect compromises defenses at the host-pathogen interface, resulting in increased penetration success by a nonadapted powdery mildew. Genetic mapping identified alp4 as an allele of GOLGI DEFECTS 36 (GOLD36), a gene encoding a GDSL-lipase/esterase family protein that is involved in maintaining normal morphology and organization of multiple endomembrane compartments. Genetic complementation confirmed that mutation in GOLD36 is responsible for the PEN3 targeting and powdery mildew penetration resistance defects in alp4. These results reinforce the importance of endomembrane trafficking in resistance to haustorium-forming phytopathogens such as powdery mildew fungi.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Arabidopsis EXO70B2 exocyst subunit contributes to papillae and encasement formation in antifungal defence.

In the reaction to non-adapted Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh), Arabidopsis thaliana leaf epidermal cells deposit cell wall reinforcements called papillae or seal fungal haustoria in encasements, both of which involve intensive exocytosis. A plant syntaxin, SYP121/PEN1, has been found to be of key importance for the timely formation of papillae, and the vesicle tethering complex exocyst subunit EXO70B2 has been found to contribute to their morphology. Here, we identify a specific role for the EXO70B2-containing exocyst complex in the papillae membrane domains important for callose deposition and GFP-SYP121 delivery to the focal attack sites, as well as its contribution to encasement formation. The mRuby2-EXO70B2 co-localizes with the exocyst core subunit SEC6 and GFP-SYP121 in the membrane domain of papillae, and EXO70B2 and SYP121 proteins have the capacity to directly interact. The exo70B2/syp121 double mutant produces a reduced number of papillae and haustorial encasements in response to Bgh, indicating an additive role of the exocyst in SYP121-coordinated non-host resistance. In summary, we report cooperation between the plant exocyst and a SNARE protein in penetration resistance against non-adapted fungal pathogens.

Structural variations on Salmonella biofilm by exposition to river water.

Biofilm formation, as adapting strategies, is the result of stressful conditions that Salmonella faces in hostile environments like surface water. We evaluated river water effect on Salmonella biofilm formation ability in terms of physical, morphological characteristics and chemical composition. A new morphotype SPAM (soft, pink and mucoid) was detected in Oranienburg strains S-76 and S-347 (environmental and clinical isolate). Oranienburg serotypes showed very marked behavior in adherence, pellicle liquid-air and resistance, being Oranienburg S-76 the strongest biofilm producer. All strains when exposed to river water presented an overlapping mucoid layer in the morphotype and increased their motility except Oranienburg S-347. The most motile was Typhimurium (control) and the least Infantis S-304 (clinical isolate). Mannose, glucose, galactose and ribose were the main biofilm sugar components; type and concentration of sugar suggest a morphotype/serotype dependent pattern. Strong morphotypes expressed in this study may be an effective protective strategy for Salmonella in hostile environments.

Dietary influence on modulation of Helicoverpa armigera oral secretion composition leading to differential regulation of tomato plant defense.

Little is known about how different plant-based diets influence the insect herbivores' oral secretion (OS) composition and eventually the plant defense responses. We analyzed the OS composition of the generalist Lepidopteran insect, Helicoverpa armigera feeding on the host plant tomato (OSH), non-host plant capsicum (OSNH), and artificial diet (OSAD) using Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry. Higher numbers and levels of alkaloids and terpenoids were observed in OSH and OSNH, respectively while OSAD was rich in phospholipids. Interestingly, treatment of H. armigera OSAD, OSH and OSNH on wounded tomato leaves showed differential expression of (i) genes involved in JA and SA biosynthesis and their responsive genes, and (ii) biosynthetic pathway genes of chlorogenic acid (CGA) and trehalose, which exhibited increased accumulation along with several other plant defensive metabolites. Specifically, high levels of CGA were detected after OSH and OSNH treatments in tomato leaves. There was higher expression of the genes involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, which may lead to the increased accumulation of CGA and related metabolites. In the insect bioassay, CGA significantly inhibited H. armigera larval growth. Our results underline the differential accumulation of plant and insect OS metabolites and identified potential plant metabolite(s) affecting insect growth and development.

Identification of Repellents from Four Non-Host Asteraceae Plants for the Root Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne incognita.

Olfactory cues guide plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) to their host plants. We tested the hypothesis that non-host plant root volatiles repel PPNs. To achieve this, we compared the olfactory responses of infective juveniles (J2s) of the PPN Meloidogyne incognita to four non-host Asteraceae plants, namely, black-jack (Bidens pilosa), pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium), marigold (Tagetes minuta), and sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua), traditionally used in sub-Saharan Africa for the management of PPNs. Chemical analysis by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) combined with random forest analysis, followed by behavioral assays, identified the repellents in the root volatiles of B. pilosa, T. minuta, and A. annua as (E)-ß-farnesene and 1,8-cineole, whereas camphor was attractive. In contrast, random forest analysis predicted repellents for C. cinerariifolium and A. annua as ß-patchoulene and isopropyl hexadecanoate. Our results suggested that terpenoids generally account for the repellency of non-host Asteraceae plants used in PPN management.

Hydrogen peroxide detoxifying enzymes show different activity patterns in host and non-host plant interactions with Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum pathotype.

Wheat blast caused by the hemibiotroph fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum (MoT) pathotype is a destructive disease of wheat in South America, Bangladesh and Zambia. This study aimed to determine and compare the activities of antioxidant enzymes in susceptible (wheat, maize, barley and swamp rice grass) and resistant (rice) plants when interacting with MoT. The activities of reactive oxygen species-detoxifying enzymes; catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione S-transferase (GST), peroxidase (POX) were increased in all plants in response to MoT inoculation with a few exceptions. Interestingly, an early and very high activity of CAT was observed within 24 h after inoculation in wheat, barley, maize and swamp rice grass with lower H2O2 concentration. In contrast, an early and high accumulation of H2O2 was observed in rice at 48 hai with little CAT activity only at a later stage of MoT inoculation. The activities of APX, GST and POD were also high at an early stage of infection in rice. However, these enzymes activities were very high at a later stage in wheat, barley, maize and swamp rice grass. The activity of GPX gradually decreased with the increase of time in rice. Taken together, our results suggest that late and early inductions of most of the antioxidant enzyme activities occurs in susceptible and resistant plants, respectively. This study demonstrates some insights into physiological responses of host and non-host plants when interacting with the devastating wheat blast fungus MoT, which could be useful for developing blast resistant wheat.