M Shamim Hasan, Anika Damm, Muhammad U Ijaz, Divykriti Chopra, Anna Koprivova, Stanislav Kopriva, Florian M W Grundler, Shahid Siddique
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Glutathione (l-γ-glutamyl-l-cysteinyl-glycine) is a key molecule that regulates numerous plant processes under both biotic and abiotic stress conditions. However, its role in plant responses to soil-borne pathogens, particularly the economically important root-knot nematodes (RKN; Meloidogyne spp.), remains largely unexplored. These nematodes are obligate biotrophs that establish specialized feeding sites-multinucleate giant cells-in host roots, manipulating plant biological processes. Here, we investigated the role of glutathione in Arabidopsis thaliana during RKN infection using a combination of genetic (glutathione biosynthetic mutants), biochemical (thiol and camalexin measurements), and pharmacological (exogenous glutathione supplementation) approaches. We found that glutathione depletion in roots of mutants in glutathione synthesis (rax1, pad2, cad2 and nrc2) significantly reduced gall formation and egg mass production, suggesting its important role in nematode infection. Additionally, the exogenous application of glutathione increased plant susceptibility to RKN. Biochemical analysis revealed that reduced glutathione levels disrupted the cysteine-glutathione balance early in the infection process. However, further assays, including camalexin measurements and infection assays with gstf6 loss-of-function lines, indicated that glutathione-dependent phytoalexins camalexin does not significantly contribute to RKN parasitism. These findings underscore the importance of glutathione in maintaining thiol homeostasis during the early stages of RKN infection and suggest that manipulating glutathione levels could be a potential strategy for nematode control in agriculture.
期刊介绍:
Phytopathology publishes articles on fundamental research that advances understanding of the nature of plant diseases, the agents that cause them, their spread, the losses they cause, and measures that can be used to control them. Phytopathology considers manuscripts covering all aspects of plant diseases including bacteriology, host-parasite biochemistry and cell biology, biological control, disease control and pest management, description of new pathogen species description of new pathogen species, ecology and population biology, epidemiology, disease etiology, host genetics and resistance, mycology, nematology, plant stress and abiotic disorders, postharvest pathology and mycotoxins, and virology. Papers dealing mainly with taxonomy, such as descriptions of new plant pathogen taxa are acceptable if they include plant disease research results such as pathogenicity, host range, etc. Taxonomic papers that focus on classification, identification, and nomenclature below the subspecies level may also be submitted to Phytopathology.