title: Cerato-platanin induces resistance in Arabidopsis leaves through stomatal perception, overexpression of salicylic acid- and ethylene-signalling genes and camalexin biosynthesis.
abstract: Microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) lead to the activation of the first line of plant defence. Few fungal molecules are universally qualified as MAMPs, and proteins belonging to the cerato-platanin protein (CPP) family seem to possess these features. Cerato-platanin (CP) is the name-giving protein of the CPP family and is produced by Ceratocystis platani, the causal agent of the canker stain disease of plane trees (Platanus spp.). On plane tree leaves, the biological activity of CP has been widely studied. Once applied on the leaf surface, CP acts as an elicitor of defence responses. The molecular mechanism by which CP elicits leaves is still unknown, and the protective effect of CP against virulent pathogens has not been clearly demonstrated. In the present study, we tried to address these questions in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Our results suggest that stomata rapidly sense CP since they responded to the treatment with ROS signalling and stomatal closure, and that CP triggers salicylic acid (SA)- and ethylene (ET)-signalling pathways, but not the jasmonic acid (JA)-signalling pathway, as revealed by the expression pattern of 20 marker genes. Among these, EDS1, PAD4, NPR1, GRX480, WRKY70, ACS6, ERF1a/b, COI1, MYC2, PDF1.2a and the pathogenesis-related (PR) genes 1-5. CP rapidly induced MAPK phosphorylation and induced the biosynthesis of camalexin within 12 hours following treatment. The induction of localised resistance was shown by a reduced susceptibility of the leaves to the infection with Botrytis cinerea and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. These results contribute to elucidate the key steps of the signalling process underlying the resistance induction in plants by CP and point out the central role played by the stomata in this process.
authors: Department of Agri-food Production and Environmental Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors: Ivan
authors: I
authors: Baccelli
authors: Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Lara
authors: L
authors: Lombardi
authors: Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors: Simone
authors: S
authors: Luti
authors: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Rodolfo
authors: R
authors: Bernardi
authors: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Piero
authors: P
authors: Picciarelli
authors: Department of Agri-food Production and Environmental Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors: Aniello
authors: A
authors: Scala
authors: Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors: Luigia
authors: L
authors: Pazzagli
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D007211:Indoles / Q000378:metabolism*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D054046:Plant Stomata / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D020156:Salicylic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000378:metabolism*; D000094162:Phytoalexins
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D005030:Ethylenes; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007211:Indoles; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D020156:Salicylic Acid; D013844:Thiazoles; C102405:camalexin; D000094162:Phytoalexins; C036216:ethylene