Mobility of Transgenic Nucleic Acids and Proteins within Grafted Rootstocks for Agricultural Improvement

Grafting has been used in agriculture for over 2000 years. Disease resistance and environmental tolerance are highly beneficial traits that can be provided through use of grafting, although the mechanisms, in particular for resistance, have frequently been unknown. As information emerges that describes plant disease resistance mechanisms, the proteins, and nucleic acids that play a critical role in disease management can be expressed in genetically engineered (GE) plant lines. Utilizing transgrafting, the combination of a GE rootstock with a wild-type (WT) scion, or the reverse, has the potential to provide pest and pathogen resistance, impart biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, or increase plant vigor and productivity. Of central importance to these potential benefits is the question of to what extent nucleic acids and proteins are transmitted across a graft junction and whether the movement of these molecules will affect the efficacy of the transgrafting approach. Using a variety of specific examples, this review will report on the movement of organellar DNA, RNAs, and proteins across graft unions. Attention will be specifically drawn to the use of small RNAs and gene silencing within transgrafted plants, with a particular focus on pathogen resistance. The use of GE rootstocks or scions has the potential to extend the horticultural utility of grafting by combining this ancient technique with the molecular strategies of the modern era

Strangers in the matrix: plant cell walls and pathogen susceptibility

Early in infection, pathogens encounter the outer wall of plant cells. Because pathogen hydrolases targeting the plant cell wall are well-known components of virulence, it has been assumed that wall disassembly by the plant itself also contributes to susceptibility, and now this has been established experimentally. Understanding how plant morphological and developmental remodeling and pathogen cell wall targeted virulence influence infections provides new perspectives about plant-pathogen interactions. The plant cell wall can be an effective physical barrier to pathogens, but also it is a matrix where many proteins involved in pathogen perception are delivered. By breaching the wall, a pathogen potentially reveals itself to the plant and activates responses, setting off events that might halt or limit its advance.Fil: Cantu, Dario. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Vicente, Ariel Roberto. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Labavitch, John M.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Bennett, Alan B.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Powell, Ann L.T.. University of California; Estados Unido

Ripening-Regulated Susceptibility of Tomato Fruit to Botrytis cinerea Requires NOR But Not RIN or Ethylene1[W][OA]

Fruit ripening is a developmental process that is associated with increased susceptibility to the necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea. Histochemical observations demonstrate that unripe tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit activate pathogen defense responses, but these responses are attenuated in ripe fruit infected by B. cinerea. Tomato fruit ripening is regulated independently and cooperatively by ethylene and transcription factors, including NON-RIPENING (NOR) and RIPENING-INHIBITOR (RIN). Mutations in NOR or RIN or interference with ethylene perception prevent fruit from ripening and, thereby, would be expected to influence susceptibility. We show, however, that the susceptibility of ripe fruit is dependent on NOR but not on RIN and only partially on ethylene perception, leading to the conclusion that not all of the pathways and events that constitute ripening render fruit susceptible. Additionally, on unripe fruit, B. cinerea induces the expression of genes also expressed as uninfected fruit ripen. Among the ripening-associated genes induced by B. cinerea are LePG (for polygalacturonase) and LeExp1 (for expansin), which encode cell wall-modifying proteins and have been shown to facilitate susceptibility. LePG and LeExp1 are induced only in susceptible rin fruit and not in resistant nor fruit. Thus, to infect fruit, B. cinerea relies on some of the processes and events that occur during ripening, and the fungus induces these pathways in unripe fruit, suggesting that the pathogen itself can initiate the induction of susceptibility by exploiting endogenous developmental programs. These results demonstrate the developmental plasticity of plant responses to the fungus and indicate how known regulators of fruit ripening participate in regulating ripening-associated pathogen susceptibility

Proteomic Analysis of Ripening Tomato Fruit Infected by <i>Botrytis cinerea</i>

<i>Botrytis cinerea</i>, a model necrotrophic fungal pathogen that causes gray mold as it infects different organs on more than 200 plant species, is a significant contributor to postharvest rot in fresh fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes. By describing host and pathogen proteomes simultaneously in infected tissues, the plant proteins that provide resistance and allow susceptibility and the pathogen proteins that promote colonization and facilitate quiescence can be identified. This study characterizes fruit and fungal proteins solubilized in the <i>B. cinerea</i>–tomato interaction using shotgun proteomics. Mature green, red ripe wild type and <i>ripening inhibited (rin)</i> mutant tomato fruit were infected with <i>B. cinerea</i> B05.10, and the fruit and fungal proteomes were identified concurrently 3 days postinfection. One hundred eighty-six tomato proteins were identified in common among red ripe and red ripe-equivalent <i>ripening inhibited</i> (<i>rin)</i> mutant tomato fruit infected by <i>B. cinerea</i>. However, the limited infections by <i>B. cinerea</i> of mature green wild type fruit resulted in 25 and 33% fewer defense-related tomato proteins than in red and <i>rin</i> fruit, respectively. In contrast, the ripening stage of genotype of the fruit infected did not affect the secreted proteomes of <i>B. cinerea</i>. The composition of the collected proteins populations and the putative functions of the identified proteins argue for their role in plant–pathogen interactions

Proteomic Analysis of Ripening Tomato Fruit Infected by <i>Botrytis cinerea</i>

<i>Botrytis cinerea</i>, a model necrotrophic fungal pathogen that causes gray mold as it infects different organs on more than 200 plant species, is a significant contributor to postharvest rot in fresh fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes. By describing host and pathogen proteomes simultaneously in infected tissues, the plant proteins that provide resistance and allow susceptibility and the pathogen proteins that promote colonization and facilitate quiescence can be identified. This study characterizes fruit and fungal proteins solubilized in the <i>B. cinerea</i>–tomato interaction using shotgun proteomics. Mature green, red ripe wild type and <i>ripening inhibited (rin)</i> mutant tomato fruit were infected with <i>B. cinerea</i> B05.10, and the fruit and fungal proteomes were identified concurrently 3 days postinfection. One hundred eighty-six tomato proteins were identified in common among red ripe and red ripe-equivalent <i>ripening inhibited</i> (<i>rin)</i> mutant tomato fruit infected by <i>B. cinerea</i>. However, the limited infections by <i>B. cinerea</i> of mature green wild type fruit resulted in 25 and 33% fewer defense-related tomato proteins than in red and <i>rin</i> fruit, respectively. In contrast, the ripening stage of genotype of the fruit infected did not affect the secreted proteomes of <i>B. cinerea</i>. The composition of the collected proteins populations and the putative functions of the identified proteins argue for their role in plant–pathogen interactions

Proteomic Analysis of Ripening Tomato Fruit Infected by <i>Botrytis cinerea</i>

<i>Botrytis cinerea</i>, a model necrotrophic fungal pathogen that causes gray mold as it infects different organs on more than 200 plant species, is a significant contributor to postharvest rot in fresh fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes. By describing host and pathogen proteomes simultaneously in infected tissues, the plant proteins that provide resistance and allow susceptibility and the pathogen proteins that promote colonization and facilitate quiescence can be identified. This study characterizes fruit and fungal proteins solubilized in the <i>B. cinerea</i>–tomato interaction using shotgun proteomics. Mature green, red ripe wild type and <i>ripening inhibited (rin)</i> mutant tomato fruit were infected with <i>B. cinerea</i> B05.10, and the fruit and fungal proteomes were identified concurrently 3 days postinfection. One hundred eighty-six tomato proteins were identified in common among red ripe and red ripe-equivalent <i>ripening inhibited</i> (<i>rin)</i> mutant tomato fruit infected by <i>B. cinerea</i>. However, the limited infections by <i>B. cinerea</i> of mature green wild type fruit resulted in 25 and 33% fewer defense-related tomato proteins than in red and <i>rin</i> fruit, respectively. In contrast, the ripening stage of genotype of the fruit infected did not affect the secreted proteomes of <i>B. cinerea</i>. The composition of the collected proteins populations and the putative functions of the identified proteins argue for their role in plant–pathogen interactions

Proteomic Analysis of Ripening Tomato Fruit Infected by <i>Botrytis cinerea</i>

<i>Botrytis cinerea</i>, a model necrotrophic fungal pathogen that causes gray mold as it infects different organs on more than 200 plant species, is a significant contributor to postharvest rot in fresh fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes. By describing host and pathogen proteomes simultaneously in infected tissues, the plant proteins that provide resistance and allow susceptibility and the pathogen proteins that promote colonization and facilitate quiescence can be identified. This study characterizes fruit and fungal proteins solubilized in the <i>B. cinerea</i>–tomato interaction using shotgun proteomics. Mature green, red ripe wild type and <i>ripening inhibited (rin)</i> mutant tomato fruit were infected with <i>B. cinerea</i> B05.10, and the fruit and fungal proteomes were identified concurrently 3 days postinfection. One hundred eighty-six tomato proteins were identified in common among red ripe and red ripe-equivalent <i>ripening inhibited</i> (<i>rin)</i> mutant tomato fruit infected by <i>B. cinerea</i>. However, the limited infections by <i>B. cinerea</i> of mature green wild type fruit resulted in 25 and 33% fewer defense-related tomato proteins than in red and <i>rin</i> fruit, respectively. In contrast, the ripening stage of genotype of the fruit infected did not affect the secreted proteomes of <i>B. cinerea</i>. The composition of the collected proteins populations and the putative functions of the identified proteins argue for their role in plant–pathogen interactions

Proteomic Analysis of Ripening Tomato Fruit Infected by <i>Botrytis cinerea</i>

<i>Botrytis cinerea</i>, a model necrotrophic fungal pathogen that causes gray mold as it infects different organs on more than 200 plant species, is a significant contributor to postharvest rot in fresh fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes. By describing host and pathogen proteomes simultaneously in infected tissues, the plant proteins that provide resistance and allow susceptibility and the pathogen proteins that promote colonization and facilitate quiescence can be identified. This study characterizes fruit and fungal proteins solubilized in the <i>B. cinerea</i>–tomato interaction using shotgun proteomics. Mature green, red ripe wild type and <i>ripening inhibited (rin)</i> mutant tomato fruit were infected with <i>B. cinerea</i> B05.10, and the fruit and fungal proteomes were identified concurrently 3 days postinfection. One hundred eighty-six tomato proteins were identified in common among red ripe and red ripe-equivalent <i>ripening inhibited</i> (<i>rin)</i> mutant tomato fruit infected by <i>B. cinerea</i>. However, the limited infections by <i>B. cinerea</i> of mature green wild type fruit resulted in 25 and 33% fewer defense-related tomato proteins than in red and <i>rin</i> fruit, respectively. In contrast, the ripening stage of genotype of the fruit infected did not affect the secreted proteomes of <i>B. cinerea</i>. The composition of the collected proteins populations and the putative functions of the identified proteins argue for their role in plant–pathogen interactions

Proteomic Analysis of Ripening Tomato Fruit Infected by <i>Botrytis cinerea</i>

<i>Botrytis cinerea</i>, a model necrotrophic fungal pathogen that causes gray mold as it infects different organs on more than 200 plant species, is a significant contributor to postharvest rot in fresh fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes. By describing host and pathogen proteomes simultaneously in infected tissues, the plant proteins that provide resistance and allow susceptibility and the pathogen proteins that promote colonization and facilitate quiescence can be identified. This study characterizes fruit and fungal proteins solubilized in the <i>B. cinerea</i>–tomato interaction using shotgun proteomics. Mature green, red ripe wild type and <i>ripening inhibited (rin)</i> mutant tomato fruit were infected with <i>B. cinerea</i> B05.10, and the fruit and fungal proteomes were identified concurrently 3 days postinfection. One hundred eighty-six tomato proteins were identified in common among red ripe and red ripe-equivalent <i>ripening inhibited</i> (<i>rin)</i> mutant tomato fruit infected by <i>B. cinerea</i>. However, the limited infections by <i>B. cinerea</i> of mature green wild type fruit resulted in 25 and 33% fewer defense-related tomato proteins than in red and <i>rin</i> fruit, respectively. In contrast, the ripening stage of genotype of the fruit infected did not affect the secreted proteomes of <i>B. cinerea</i>. The composition of the collected proteins populations and the putative functions of the identified proteins argue for their role in plant–pathogen interactions