Characterization of the early response of Arabidopsis to Alternaria brassicicola infection using expression profiling.
All tested accessions of Arabidopsis are resistant to the fungal pathogen Alternaria brassicicola. Resistance is compromised by pad3 or coi1 mutations, suggesting that it requires the Arabidopsis phytoalexin camalexin and jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent signaling, respectively. This contrasts with most well-studied Arabidopsis pathogens, which are controlled by salicylic acid-dependent responses and do not benefit from absence of camalexin or JA. Here, mutants with defects in camalexin synthesis (pad1, pad2, pad3, and pad5) or in JA signaling (pad1, coi1) were found to be more susceptible than wild type. Mutants with defects in salicylic acid (pad4 and sid2) or ethylene (ein2) signaling remained resistant. Plant responses to A. brassicicola were characterized using expression profiling. Plants showed dramatic gene expression changes within 12 h, persisting at 24 and 36 h. Wild-type and pad3 plants responded similarly, suggesting that pad3 does not have a major effect on signaling. The response of coi1 plants was quite different. Of the 645 genes induced by A. brassicicola in wild-type and pad3 plants, 265 required COI1 for full expression. It is likely that some of the COI1-dependent genes are important for resistance to A. brassicicola. Responses to A. brassicicola were compared with responses to Pseudomonas syringae infection. Despite the fact that these pathogens are limited by different defense responses, approximately 50% of the induced genes were induced in response to both pathogens. Among these, requirements for COI1 were consistent after infection by either pathogen, suggesting that the regulatory effect of COI1 is similar regardless of the initial stimulus.
van Wees
Saskia C M
SC
Torrey Mesa Research Institute, Syngenta Research and Technology, 3115 Merryfield Row, San Diego, California 92121, USA.
Chang
Hur-Song
HS
Zhu
Tong
T
Glazebrook
Jane
J
D000528:Alternaria / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D007211:Indoles / Q000378:metabolism; D016296:Mutagenesis; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010935:Plant Diseases; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013172:Spores, Fungal; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000378:metabolism; D000094162:Phytoalexins
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D007211:Indoles; D013844:Thiazoles; C102405:camalexin; D000094162:Phytoalexins