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Genetic responses in a plant‐endophyte interplay
Author(s) -
Robb Jane,
Shittu Hakeem,
Soman Kizhake V.,
Kurosky Alexander,
Nazar Ross N.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.978.6
Subject(s) - pathosystem , biology , verticillium wilt , verticillium dahliae , verticillium , gene , pathogen , genetics , plant defense against herbivory , plant disease resistance , microbiology and biotechnology , botany
A plant can respond to the threat of a pathogen through resistance defenses or tolerance. Resistance has been widely studied in many host pathosystems but little is known about genetic events in tolerance. In this study a recently developed model for a tolerant tomato‐fungal (Verticillium dahliae) wilt pathosystem was used to examine changes in gene expression during both a tolerant interaction and in competition with a susceptible infection. Relative changes in mRNA levels were measured using a customized TVR (tomato‐Verticillium response) DNA chip and actual changes in cellular proteins were assessed using two dimensional gel electophoresis and MS‐based protein identification. Heat maps were used to identify responding groups of proteins and individual groups were examined further for common functions and other relationships including correspondence between mRNA and protein changes. In addition to elevated levels of defense gene responses to pathogen colonization, suppression or blocked responses were evident in mixed infections. These included some transcription factors and PR proteins such as class IV chitinases and beta glucanases known to target fungal spores and mycelium. Taken together the results reveal intriguing but complex molecular changes with potential agricultural benefits. Supported by NSERC (R.N.N. and J.R.), NIH, NHLBI (A.K.) and a Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship (H.O.S.).