title: Kresoxim-methyl primes Medicago truncatula plants against abiotic stress factors via altered reactive oxygen and nitrogen species signalling leading to downstream transcriptional and metabolic readjustment.
abstract: Biotic and abiotic stresses, such as fungal infection and drought, cause major yield losses in modern agriculture. Kresoxim-methyl (KM) belongs to the strobilurins, one of the most important classes of agricultural fungicides displaying a direct effect on several plant physiological and developmental processes. However, the impact of KM treatment on salt and drought stress tolerance is unknown. In this study we demonstrate that KM pre-treatment of Medicago truncatula plants results in increased protection to drought and salt stress. Foliar application with KM prior to stress imposition resulted in improvement of physiological parameters compared with stressed-only plants. This protective effect was further supported by increased proline biosynthesis, modified reactive oxygen and nitrogen species signalling, and attenuation of cellular damage. In addition, comprehensive transcriptome analysis identified a number of transcripts that are differentially accumulating in drought- and salinity-stressed plants (646 and 57, respectively) after KM pre-treatment compared with stressed plants with no KM pre-treatment. Metabolomic analysis suggests that the priming role of KM in drought- and to a lesser extent in salinity-stressed plants can be attributed to the regulation of key metabolites (including sugars and amino acids) resulting in protection against abiotic stress factors. Overall, the present study highlights the potential use of this commonly used fungicide as a priming agent against key abiotic stress conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, PO Box 50329 Limassol, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Panagiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Filippou
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, PO Box 50329 Limassol, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Chrystalla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Antoniou
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Obata
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Gent, Belgium Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Katrien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Der Kelen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center Alexander Fleming, 34 Fleming Street, 16672 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Vaggelis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Harokopos
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, PO Box 50329 Limassol, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Loukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kanetis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center Alexander Fleming, 34 Fleming Street, 16672 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Vassilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aidinis
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Gent, Belgium Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van Breusegem
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
authors.forename: Alisdair R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Fernie
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, PO Box 50329 Limassol, Cyprus vassilis.fotopoulos@cut.ac.cy.
authors.forename: Vasileios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fotopoulos
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D055864:Droughts; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D046913:Medicago truncatula / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D055442:Metabolome / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000494:pharmacology; D050901:Nitrate Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010648:Phenylacetates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054046:Plant Stomata / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism; D059748:Proteolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D026361:Reactive Nitrogen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D054712:Salinity; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects*; D000073739:Strobilurins; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D008689:Methacrylates; D010648:Phenylacetates; D010940:Plant Proteins; D026361:Reactive Nitrogen Species; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D000073739:Strobilurins; C469328:kresoxim-methyl; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D011392:Proline; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D050901:Nitrate Reductase
keywords: Drought; priming; reactive species; salinity; strobilurins; systems biology.