title: Perturbations in the Primary Metabolism of Tomato and Arabidopsis thaliana Plants Infected with the Soil-Borne Fungus Verticillium dahliae.
abstract: The hemibiotrophic soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae is a major pathogen of a number of economically important crop species. Here, the metabolic response of both tomato and Arabidopsis thaliana to V. dahliae infection was analysed by first using non-targeted GC-MS profiling. The leaf content of both major cell wall components glucuronic acid and xylose was reduced in the presence of the pathogen in tomato but enhanced in A. thaliana. The leaf content of the two tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates fumaric acid and succinic acid was increased in the leaf of both species, reflecting a likely higher demand for reducing equivalents required for defence responses. A prominent group of affected compounds was amino acids and based on the targeted analysis in the root, it was shown that the level of 12 and four free amino acids was enhanced by the infection in, respectively, tomato and A. thaliana, with leucine and histidine being represented in both host species. The leaf content of six free amino acids was reduced in the leaf tissue of diseased A. thaliana plants, while that of two free amino acids was raised in the tomato plants. This study emphasizes the role of primary plant metabolites in adaptive responses when the fungus has colonized the plant.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Theodor-Echtermeyer-Weg 1, 14979 Grossbeeren, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buhtz
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Theodor-Echtermeyer-Weg 1, 14979 Grossbeeren, Germany.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Witzel
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Strehmel
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abel
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Theodor-Echtermeyer-Weg 1, 14979 Grossbeeren, Germany.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grosch
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000235:genetics; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics; D009181:Mycoses / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D020172:Verticillium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*