title: Molecular analysis of the early interaction between the grapevine flower and Botrytis cinerea reveals that prompt activation of specific host pathways leads to fungus quiescence.
abstract: Grape quality and yield can be impaired by bunch rot, caused by the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Infection often occurs at flowering, and the pathogen stays quiescent until fruit maturity. Here, we report a molecular analysis of the early interaction between B. cinerea and Vitis vinifera flowers, using a controlled infection system, confocal microscopy and integrated transcriptomic and metabolic analysis of the host and the pathogen. Flowers from fruiting cuttings of the cultivar Pinot Noir were infected with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labelled B. cinerea and studied at 24 and 96 hours post-inoculation (h.p.i.). We observed that penetration of the epidermis by B. cinerea coincided with increased expression of genes encoding cell-wall-degrading enzymes, phytotoxins and proteases. Grapevine responded with a rapid defence reaction involving 1193 genes associated with the accumulation of antimicrobial proteins, polyphenols, reactive oxygen species and cell wall reinforcement. At 96 h.p.i., the reaction appears largely diminished both in the host and in the pathogen. Our data indicate that the defence responses of the grapevine flower collectively are able to restrict invasive fungal growth into the underlying tissues, thereby forcing the fungus to enter quiescence until the conditions become more favourable to resume pathogenic development.
authors.affiliation: Genomics and Biology of Fruit Crops Department, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38010, Trentino, Italy.|Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 46,, 40127, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Zeraye Mehari
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Haile
authors.affiliation: Genomics and Biology of Fruit Crops Department, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38010, Trentino, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pilati
authors.affiliation: Computational Biology Department, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38010, Trentino, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sonego
authors.affiliation: Genomics and Biology of Fruit Crops Department, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38010, Trentino, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Malacarne
authors.affiliation: Food Quality and Nutrition Department, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38010, Trentino, Italy.
authors.forename: Urska
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Vrhovsek
authors.affiliation: Computational Biology Department, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38010, Trentino, Italy.
authors.forename: Kristof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Engelen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Schlossplatz 8, D-48143, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tudzynski
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Padua, Via U. Bassi 58/B,, 35131, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zottini
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 46,, 40127, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baraldi
authors.affiliation: Genomics and Biology of Fruit Crops Department, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38010, Trentino, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9141-7850
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moser
mesh_terms: D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways; D020171:Botrytis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000235:genetics*; D055442:Metabolome / Q000235:genetics; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D064210:Secondary Metabolism; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D012984:Software; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000235:genetics; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D027843:Vitis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D059808:Polyphenols; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: Botrytis cinerea; Vitis vinifera; defence response; quiescence