title: Aboveground insect infestation attenuates belowground Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation.
abstract: Agrobacterium tumefaciens causes crown gall disease. Although Agrobacterium can be popularly used for genetic engineering, the influence of aboveground insect infestation on Agrobacterium induced gall formation has not been investigated. Nicotiana benthamiana leaves were exposed to a sucking insect (whitefly) infestation and benzothiadiazole (BTH) for 7 d, and these exposed plants were inoculated with a tumorigenic Agrobacterium strain. We evaluated, both in planta and in vitro, how whitefly infestation affects crown gall disease. Whitefly-infested plants exhibited at least a two-fold reduction in gall formation on both stem and crown root. Silencing of isochorismate synthase 1 (ICS1), required for salicylic acid (SA) synthesis, compromised gall formation indicating an involvement of SA in whitefly-derived plant defence against Agrobacterium. Endogenous SA content was augmented in whitefly-infested plants upon Agrobacterium inoculation. In addition, SA concentration was three times higher in root exudates from whitefly-infested plants. As a consequence, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of roots of whitefly-infested plants was clearly inhibited when compared to control plants. These results suggest that aboveground whitefly infestation elicits systemic defence responses throughout the plant. Our findings provide new insights into insect-mediated leaf-root intra-communication and a framework to understand interactions between three organisms: whitefly, N. benthamiana and Agrobacterium.
authors: Molecular Phytobacteriology Laboratory, Superbacteria Research Center, KRIBB, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea.|Biosystems and Bioengineering Program, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, 305-350, South Korea.
authors: Geun Cheol
authors: GC
authors: Song
authors: Molecular Phytobacteriology Laboratory, Superbacteria Research Center, KRIBB, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea.
authors: Soohyun
authors: S
authors: Lee
authors: Molecular Phytobacteriology Laboratory, Superbacteria Research Center, KRIBB, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea.|Department of Plant Pathology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, South Korea.
authors: Jaehwa
authors: J
authors: Hong
authors: Molecular Phytobacteriology Laboratory, Superbacteria Research Center, KRIBB, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea.
authors: Hye Kyung
authors: HK
authors: Choi
authors: Molecular Phytobacteriology Laboratory, Superbacteria Research Center, KRIBB, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea.|Biosystems and Bioengineering Program, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, 305-350, South Korea.
authors: Gun Hyong
authors: GH
authors: Hong
authors: Central Instrument Facility, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 660-701, South Korea.
authors: Dong-Won
authors: DW
authors: Bae
authors: Plant Biology Division, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA.
authors: Kirankumar S
authors: KS
authors: Mysore
authors: Molecular Phytobacteriology Laboratory, Superbacteria Research Center, KRIBB, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea.
authors: Yong-Soon
authors: YS
authors: Park
authors: Molecular Phytobacteriology Laboratory, Superbacteria Research Center, KRIBB, Daejeon, 305-806, South Korea.|Biosystems and Bioengineering Program, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, 305-350, South Korea.
authors: Choong-Min
authors: CM
authors: Ryu
mesh_terms: D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D003517:Cyclopentanes / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing; D017343:Genes, Plant; D006430:Hemiptera / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D054883:Oxylipins / Q000378:metabolism; D053147:Plant Exudates / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000382:microbiology; D010941:Plant Tumors / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D010942:Plant Viruses / Q000502:physiology; D020156:Salicylic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D003517:Cyclopentanes; D054883:Oxylipins; D053147:Plant Exudates; C011006:jasmonic acid; D020156:Salicylic Acid
keywords: Agrobacterium; crown gall; multitrophic interactions; salicylic acid (SA); transformation efficiency; whitefly infestation