Salicylic acid pathway changes in barley plants challenged with either a biotrophic or a necrotrophic pathogen

The biotrophic Blumeria graminis (Bg) and the necrotrophic Cochliobolus sativus; (Cs) are economically important fungal pathogens of barley globally. To better understand barley mechanisms to resist these pathogens, changes in salicylic acid (SA) and its responsive genes particularly the pathogenesis related PR1, PR2, PR3 and PR5 were evaluated using qRT-PCR across four time points post infection. Data showed that SA contents significantly increased (P = 0.001) in infected plants of both resistant and susceptible genotypes 24 h post inoculation in comparison with non-infected controls. In addition, time-course tests revealed a notable contradiction in the defense-related genes expression patterns between barley and Bg and Cs interactions, showing that expression patterns of the same defense-associated genes were altered in adaptation to different pathogens. PR1 and PR2 genes were highlyactivated inresistant plants infected with the necrotrophic pathogen Cs rather than of the biotrophic one. The uniformity in barley defense response mechanisms could be in convention with the well-accepted notion that these responses are high intense in the resistant genotype. Our work provides useful information on the expected role of SA pathways in barley towards biotrophic and necroptrophic pathogens with different lifestyles

Salicylic acid and hydrogen peroxide accumulation in relation to hydrolyte leakage in barley plants challenged with Cochliobolus sativus

Spot blotch (SB) caused by the hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Cochliobolus sativus is a destructive disease of barley worldwide. To better understand the mechanisms of resistance to this disease, the involvements of salicylic acid (SA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and ion fluxes during the interaction between resistant and susceptible barley seedlings and C. sativus were investigated. Early SA accumulation in leaf tissues was accompanied with an increase in H2O2 concentration in both compatible and incompatible interactions. The resistant cultivar constitutively contained higher levels of H2O2 and SA, as well as during the 72 h as compared with the un-infected control (0 h). However, levels increased rapidly upon infection in both cultivars. Moreover, a markedly greater increase in ion fluxes from the compatible material compared with the incompatible one was observed. Results suggest that SA and H2O2 accumulation are important during both compatible and incompatible barley- C. sativus interactions

Rhizobacteria-mediated Induced Resistance in Barley against Cochliobolus sativus under Field Conditions

The effect of four rhizobacterial strains on the severity of spot blotch disease caused by cochliobolus sativus was evaluated for two growing seasons under rainfed conditions. Three barley genotypes were used as host plant. All strains reduced C. sativus severity, with effect more pronounced when Pseudomonas putida BTP1 and Bacillus subtilis Bs2508 were used. The disease reduction was up to 56% in Arabi Abiad / P. putida BTP1. The grain yield was not obviously affected by the presence of the rhizobacteria, except some signifitive increase in season 2. Raising the resistance by soaking seed with rhizobacterial strains might be of ultimate value in agriculture

Changes in PR2 and PAL Patterns in Barley Challenged with Leaf Stripe (Pyrenophora graminea) and Powdery Mildew (Blumeria graminis) Diseases

The seed-borne (Pyrenophora graminea; Pg) and foliar (Blumeria graminis; Bg) are two economically important fungal pathogens of barley worldwide. Barley plant resistance genes, as the pathogenesis related proteins play an important role in defense mechanisms. This study aimed to monitor the expression of PR2 and PAL pathogenesis related genes during compatible/incompatible barley interaction with Pg and Bg at different time points of disease development using the Quantitative Real-time PCR technique (qRT-PCR). Comparison of data showed that PR2 and PAL were significantly over expressed in infected resistant and susceptible plants as against their lower expression in controls,. Upregulation of these defense-related genes during Pg and Bg infections was companied with a slow development of disease symptoms at the time course in the resistant genotype. qRT-PCR analysis revealed higher gene expression in resistant barley plants inoculated with Pg as compared with Bg, with a maximum expression for PR2 (13.8 and 5.06-fold) and PAL (14.8 and 4.51-fold) respectively, at the latest stage of each disease development. It was also noteworthy that PR2 and PAL genes, had higher constitutive expression and faster induction for the both pathogens in the resistant genotype as compared with the susceptible one. Obtained results suggest that both genes, PR2 and PAL, positively regulate Pg- and Bg-resistance in barley plants during disease progress. These expression patterns can provide useful insights to better understanding of the barley–fungus interactions with different fungal lifestyles

Transcriptome profile of early responsive genes in susceptible barley during Rhynchosporium secalis infection

Scald caused by Rhynchosporium secalis, is an economically important disease found worldwide. In order to profile genes and pathways responding to R. seclais infection, leaf transcriptomes before and after fungus inoculation in susceptible barley were compared using cDNA-AFLP technique. Transcriptional changes of 144 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were observed, of which 18 have no previously described function. Functional annotation of the transcripts revealed a wide range of pathways including cell wall fortification, cytoskeleton construction and metabolic processes at different time points. Furthermore, the results of RT-PCR analysis on candidate genes, ABC transporters and lycine-specific demethylase were consistent with the cDNA-AFLP data in their expression patterns. Taken together, our data suggest that susceptible barley reprograms metabolic and biological processes to initiate a suitable response R. secalis infection

Rare Earth Elements Around the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, UAE

© 2020, International Association for Mathematical Geosciences. Rare earth element (REE) contamination has major consequences for the environment and humans. Some forms of REEs have more serious environmental impacts than others. It is thus crucial to monitor their levels in areas where they are expected to be released. Concentrations of 13 REEs (La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu) around the Barakah nuclear power plant (NPP) area, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), were measured. Shore, soil, and marine samples were collected. REE concentrations were measured using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. On average, REE concentrations were highest in the soil samples, followed by the marine samples and then the shore samples. La and Nd were the most abundant REEs in the soil, marine, and shore. The average (La/Yb)n ratios for shore, soil, and marine samples were 8.96, 9.75, and 9.39, respectively. The REE concentrations were strongly positively correlated with Al2O3 values, suggesting low mobility of the REEs in the Barakah NPP area. Light REEs (LREEs) were more enriched than heavy REEs (HREEs). The shore samples have minor enrichments in La and Tm. Otherwise, based on enrichment factors that do not exceed 1.2 and geoaccumulation indices that were all below zero, the Barakah NPP area was considered uncontaminated with REEs. This area was not polluted according to the pollution load indices (0.67, 0.52, and 0.17 for shore, soil, and marine sediments, respectively). The spatial distribution maps show the highest concentrations of REEs in the south area of the Barakah NPP. Overall, the Barakah NPP area does not have any alarming REE concentrations, and the baseline values were provided as a reference for future comparisons

Cooperative functioning of salicylic acid and phenylalanine ammonia lyase in barley plant challenged with spot blotch and powdery mildew diseases

Salicylic acid (SA) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) have been suggested as important signals during plant resistance towards several fungal pathogens. In this work, to better understand the defense responses initiated by resistant and susceptible barley genotypes challenged with a necrotrophic (Cochliobolus sativus; Cs) and a biotrophic (Blumeria graminis; Bg) pathogens, the relative contributions of SA and PAL were investigated at early time points of infection. SA signaling was activated in both genotypes 24 hours post infection (hpi) as compared with the non-inoculated plants. However, with or without pathogen pretreatment, SA significantly increased (P = 0.001) in the resistant genotype that contained three-folds of total SA in comparison with the susceptible one for Bg. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) analysis revealed that PAL expression increases in the resistant and susceptible genotypes over the inoculation time points, with the maximum expression observed 48 hpi. PAL expression was paralleled by an increase in SA content in leaves as shown by the test coincidence (F3, 32 = 1.09, P = 0.49 for Cs and F3, 32 = 1.03, P = 0.48 for Bg). Results showed that the cooperatively function of SA and PAL in barley responses to both Cs and Bg appeared to be dependent on the plant genotype, and that SA signaling and PAL play a role in barley interactions with these both pathogens. This study might increase our understanding for a deeper molecular research on barley defense responses against pathogens with different lifestyles

Distribution of heavy metals around the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates

© 2017, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy was used to measure the concentrations of heavy metals in 58 samples collected from the Barakah nuclear power plant (BNPP) area, UAE. The grain size distribution was symmetric, but the samples ranged from fine to coarse sand. The inverse relationship between grain size and heavy metal contaminations was validated. The pre-operational average heavy metal contaminations around the BNPP were 0.03, 0.40, 1.2, 2.05, 1.66, 1.6, 5.9, 7.3, 7, 8.8, 60, and 2521 ppm for Cd, Mo, Co, Cu, Pb, As, Zn, Ni, V, Cr, Mn, and Fe, respectively. The spatial distribution was more compact in the south compared to the north, with less severe contaminations in the east and west. The negative geoaccumulation indices suggest an uncontaminated area, and the BNPP has minor enrichments. All concentrations were significantly below the safe limits set by the Dutch guidelines. The levels of heavy metals reported in the UAE were lower than levels reported in countries around the world