GSE168015
mRNA-profiles of Arabidopsis thaliana (Col-0) roots infected with Fusarium oxysporum 5176 over a time course of six days
Background: Cell walls (CWs) are protein-rich polysaccharide matrices essential for plant growth and environmental acclimationadaptation. The CW constitutes the first physical barrier as well as a primary source of sugars for plant microbes, such as the  vascular pathogen Fusarium oxysporum (Fo). Fo colonizes roots, advancing through the plant primary CWs towards the vasculature, where it grows causing devastation in many crops. The pathogenicity of Fo and other vascular microbes relies on their capacity to reach and colonize the xylem. However, little is known about the root-microbe interaction before the pathogen reaches the vasculature and the role of the plant CW during this process. Results: Using the pathosystem Arabidopsis-Fo5176, we show dynamic transcriptional changes in both fungus and root during their interaction. One of the earliest plant responses to Fo5176 was the downregulation of primary CW synthesis genes. We observed enhanced resistance to Fo5176 in Arabidopsis mutants impaired in primary CW cellulose synthesis. Previous studies showed an induction of ectopic lignification, accumulation of defense-related phytohormones, and dwarfism in primary CW cellulose synthesis deficient plants, potentially explaining their resistance to Fo5176. We confirmed that Arabidopsis roots deposit lignin in response to Fo5176 infection but we show that lignin-deficient mutants were as susceptible as wildtype plants to Fo5176. Genetic impairment of jasmonic acid biosynthesis and signaling did not alter Arabidopsis response to Fo5176, whereas impairment of ethylene signaling did increase vasculature colonization by Fo5176. AbolishingThis ethylene signaling interruption attenuated the observed resistance while maintaining the dwarfism observed in primary CW cellulose-deficient mutants.  Conclusions: Our study provides significant insights on the dynamic root-vascular pathogen interaction at the transcriptome level and the vital role of primary CW cellulose during defense response to these pathogens. These findings represent an essential resource for the generation of plant resistance to Fo that can be transferred to other vascular pathosystems. Overall design: mRNA-profiles of Arabidopsis thaliana (Col-0) roots infected with Fusarium oxysporum 5176 over a time course of six days