Blumeria hordei affects volatile emission of susceptible and resistant barley plants and modifies the defense response of recipient plants.

Abstract

The barley powdery mildew disease caused by the biotrophic fungus Blumeria hordei (Bh) poses enormous risks to crop production due to yield and quality losses. Plants and fungi can produce and release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that serve as signals in plant communication and defense response to protect themselves. The present study aims to identify VOCs released by barley (Hordeum vulgare) during Bh-infection and to decipher VOC-induced disease resistance in receiver plants. VOC profiles of susceptible MLO wild type (MLO WT) and a resistant near-isogenic backcross line (mlo5) were characterized over time (one day or three days after Bh inoculation) using TD-GC/MS. Comparative analysis revealed genotype-dependent VOC profiles and significant differences in emission rates for β-caryophyllene, linalool, (Z)-3-hexenol, and methyl salicylate. Furthermore, susceptible barley plants were exposed to the complex VOC bouquet of MLO WT or mlo5 sender plants in plant-to-plant communication. We found that VOC-induced resistance in receiver plants depended on the sender genotype in a Bh susceptibility assay. Additionally, untargeted metabolomics and gene expression studies provide evidence toward an SA-dependent pathway mediating VOC-induced resistance against powdery mildew. The exogenous application of methyl salicylate resulted in the enhanced expression of the BARLEY CHEMICALLY INDUCED-4 marker gene and induced resistance in receiver plants. The findings suggest genotype-dependent alterations in barley VOC profiles during biotrophic plant-fungus interactions and show a VOC-mediated resistance that shares components with salicylic acid-related pathways. The VOC signals identified here could serve as non-invasive markers for disease progression in barley-powdery mildew interactions and as signals for resistance induction in recipient plants.