title: Evaluation of the significance of cell wall polymers in flax infected with a pathogenic strain of Fusarium oxysporum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fusarium oxysporum infection leads to Fusarium-derived wilt, which is responsible for the greatest losses in flax (Linum usitatissimum) crop yield. Plants infected by Fusarium oxysporum show severe symptoms of dehydration due to the growth of the fungus in vascular tissues. As the disease develops, vascular browning and leaf yellowing can be observed. In the case of more virulent strains, plants die. The pathogen's attack starts with secretion of enzymes degrading the host cell wall. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the role of the cell wall polymers in the flax plant response to the infection in order to better understand the process of resistance and develop new ways to protect plants against infection. For this purpose, the expression of genes involved in cell wall polymer metabolism and corresponding polymer levels were investigated in flax seedlings after incubation with Fusarium oxysporum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This analysis was facilitated by selecting two groups of genes responding differently to the infection. The first group comprised genes strongly affected by the infection and activated later (phenylalanine ammonia lyase and glucosyltransferase). The second group comprised genes which are slightly affected (up to five times) and their expression vary as the infection progresses. Fusarium oxysporum infection did not affect the contents of cell wall polymers, but changed their structure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that the role of the cell wall polymers in the plant response to Fusarium oxysporum infection is manifested through changes in expression of their genes and rearrangement of the cell wall polymers. Our studies provided new information about the role of cellulose and hemicelluloses in the infection process, the change of their structure and the expression of genes participating in their metabolism during the pathogen infection. We also confirmed the role of pectin and lignin in this process, indicating the major changes at the mRNA level of lignin metabolism genes and the loosening of the pectin structure.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Przybyszewskiego 63/77, 51-148, Wroclaw, Poland. wioleta.wojtasik@uwr.edu.pl.|Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Seed Production, Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Plant Sciences, Plac Grunwaldzki 24A, 53-363, Wroclaw, Poland. wioleta.wojtasik@uwr.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Wioleta
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wojtasik
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Przybyszewskiego 63/77, 51-148, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kulma
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry and Food Technology, Faculty of Economics and Engineering, University of Economics, Komandorska 118/120, 50-345, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Lucyna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dymińska
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry and Food Technology, Faculty of Economics and Engineering, University of Economics, Komandorska 118/120, 50-345, Wroclaw, Poland.|Institute of Low Temperatures and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Okolna 2, 50-422, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hanuza
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Wroclaw, Przybyszewskiego 63/77, 51-148, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Czemplik
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Przybyszewskiego 63/77, 51-148, Wroclaw, Poland.|Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Seed Production, Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Plant Sciences, Plac Grunwaldzki 24A, 53-363, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szopa
mesh_terms: D001704:Biopolymers / Q000378:metabolism*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism; D019597:Flax / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D005670:Fusarium / Q000502:physiology*; D008031:Lignin / Q000378:metabolism; D010368:Pectins / Q000378:metabolism; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D011134:Polysaccharides; C007916:hemicellulose; D010368:Pectins; D002482:Cellulose; D008031:Lignin
keywords: Cell wall polymers; Flax; Fusarium oxysporum; Infection