title: Non-thermal plasma treatment diminishes fungal viability and up-regulates resistance genes in a plant host.
abstract: Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species can have either harmful or beneficial effects on biological systems depending on the dose administered and the species of organism exposed, suggesting that application of reactive species can possibly produce contradictory effects in disease control, pathogen inactivation and activation of host resistance. A novel technology known as atmospheric-pressure non-thermal plasma represents a means of generating various reactive species that adversely affect pathogens (inactivation) while simultaneously up-regulating host defense genes. The anti-microbial efficacy of this technology was tested on the plant fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici and its susceptible host plant species Solanum lycopercicum. Germination of fungal spores suspended in saline was decreased over time after exposed to argon (Ar) plasma for 10 min. Although the majority of treated spores exhibited necrotic death, apoptosis was also observed along with the up-regulation of apoptosis related genes. Increases in the levels of peroxynitrite and nitrite in saline following plasma treatment may have been responsible for the observed spore death. In addition, increased transcription of pathogenesis related (PR) genes was observed in the roots of the susceptible tomato cultivar (S. lycopercicum) after exposure to the same Ar plasma dose used in fungal inactivation. These data suggest that atmospheric-pressure non-thermal plasma can be efficiently used to control plant fungal diseases by inactivating fungal pathogens and up-regulating mechanisms of host resistance.
authors.affiliation: Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Plasma Bioscience and Display, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kamonporn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Panngom
authors.affiliation: Plasma Display Panel Research Center, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hark
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronic and Biological Physics, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dae Hoon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Plasma Bioscience and Display, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Geon Bo
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.affiliation: Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Plasma Bioscience and Display, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Electronic and Biological Physics, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Han Sup
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Uhm
authors.affiliation: Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Plasma Bioscience and Display, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Electronic and Biological Physics, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Gyungsoon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Plasma Bioscience and Display, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Electronic and Biological Physics, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Ha
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D060467:Disease Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology*; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology*; D058626:Plasma Gases / Q000494:pharmacology*; D026361:Reactive Nitrogen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013172:Spores, Fungal
chemical_list: D009573:Nitrites; D058626:Plasma Gases; D026361:Reactive Nitrogen Species; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species