Verticillium dahliae-Arabidopsis interaction causes changes in gene expression profiles and jasmonate levels on different time scales.

Scholz SS, Schmidt-Heck W, Guthke R, Furch ACU, Reichelt M, Gershenzon J, Oelmüller R (2018) Verticillium dahliae-Arabidopsis interaction causes changes in gene expression profiles and jasmonate levels on different time scales. Front Microbiol 9, 217.

Abstract

Verticillium dahliae is a soil-borne vascular pathogen that causes severe wilt symptoms
in a wide range of plants. Co-culture of the fungus with Arabidopsis roots for 24 h
induces many changes in the gene expression profiles of both partners, even before
defense-related phytohormone levels are induced in the plant. Both partners reprogram
sugar and amino acid metabolism, activate genes for signal perception and transduction,
and induce defense- and stress-responsive genes. Furthermore, analysis of Arabidopsis
expression profiles suggests a redirection from growth to defense. After 3 weeks, severe
disease symptoms can be detected for wild-type plants while mutants impaired in
jasmonate synthesis and perception perform much better. Thus, plant jasmonates have
an important influence on the interaction, which is already visible at themRNA level before
hormone changes occur. The plant and fungal genes that rapidly respond to the presence
of the partner might be crucial for early recognition steps and the future development of
the interaction. Thus they are potential targets for the control of V. dahliae-induced wilt
diseases.

Leibniz-HKI-Authors

Reinhard Guthke
Wolfgang Schmidt-Heck

Identifier

doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00217

PMID: 29497409