Systemic resistance in Arabidopsis induced by biocontrol bacteria is independent of salicylic acid accumulation and pathogenesis-related gene expression.
Systemic acquired resistance is a pathogen-inducible defense mechanism in plants. The resistant state is dependent on endogenous accumulation of salicylic acid (SA) and is characterized by the activation of genes encoding pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins. Recently, selected nonpathogenic, root-colonizing biocontrol bacteria have been shown to trigger a systemic resistance response as well. To study the molecular basis underlying this type of systemic resistance, we developed an Arabidopsis-based model system using Fusarium oxysporum f sp raphani and Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato as challenging pathogens. Colonization of the rhizosphere by the biological control strain WCS417r of P. fluorescens resulted in a plant-mediated resistance response that significantly reduced symptoms elicited by both challenging pathogens. Moreover, growth of P. syringae in infected leaves was strongly inhibited in P. fluorescens WCS417r-treated plants. Transgenic Arabidopsis NahG plants, unable to accumulate SA, and wild-type plants were equally responsive to P. fluorescens WCS417r-mediated induction of resistance. Furthermore, P. fluorescens WCS417r-mediated systemic resistance did not coincide with the accumulation of PR mRNAs before challenge inoculation. These results indicate that P. fluorescens WCS417r induces a pathway different from the one that controls classic systemic acquired resistance and that this pathway leads to a form of systemic resistance independent of SA accumulation and PR gene expression.
Pieterse
C M
CM
Department of Plant Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
van Wees
S C
SC
Hoffland
E
E
van Pelt
J A
JA
van Loon
L C
LC
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D005670:Fusarium / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000472:pathogenicity; D011551:Pseudomonas fluorescens / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012459:Salicylates / Q000378:metabolism*; D020156:Salicylic Acid
D010940:Plant Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018749:RNA, Plant; D012459:Salicylates; C053376:pathogenesis-related proteins, plant; D020156:Salicylic Acid