Immune Responses to Pathogen Infection in Arabidopsis
Year: 2017
Type: dissertation
Abstract: To survive, plants must recognize the presence of danger and establish effective defenses against invading pathogens. Most plants are resistant to the majority of plant pathogens. This passive protection is provided primarily by the cell wall and waxy cuticular layer that limit the progress of most attackers. If these barriers are overcome, the second line of defense is triggered upon detection of pathogen-associated molecular patterns or damage-associated molecular patterns by pattern recognition receptors. The activation of PRRs induces multifaceted intracellular signaling pathways that ultimately initiate defense responses. Many molecular components by which plants perceive pathogens and the downstream signaling cascades have been characterized on a molecular level. However, the mechanisms by which plants protect themselves from phytopathogens (in particular necrotrophs) remain to be elucidated. Three aspects of plant immunity to phytopathogens are addressed in this thesis: (I) the role of glucosidase II β-subunit AtGCSIIβ in EFR receptor-mediated defense signaling, (II) the role of F-box protein AFB4 in plant innate immunity against necrotrophic pathogens, and (III) the role of class III peroxidases in cuticle formation that governs very strong and local resistance against necrotrophic bacterial and fungal pathogens. Plants exploit membrane-localized PRRs for specific and rapid detection of the potential pathogens. Many eukaryotic membrane-localized proteins undergo quality control during folding and maturation in the endoplasmic reticulum, a process termed endoplasmic reticulum quality control. The biogenesis of EFR, and to a lesser extent FLS2 receptors, is regulated by this mechanism. Study I demonstrated that the glucosidase II β-subunit AtGCSIIβ is pivotal for the function of the plant innate immunity receptor EFR. Loss-of-function in AtGCSIIβ results in elf18-insensitive phenotype, confirming the importance of AtGCSIIβ in biogenesis of the EFR receptor. F-box proteins are important components in plant hormone responses. They target regulatory proteins to the ubiquitin proteolytic machinery and mediate hormone signaling transduction. In study II, we demonstrated that auxin signaling F-box protein mutant plants are enhanced in their resistance to bacterial and fungal necrotrophic pathogens. This was accompanied with altered sensitivity to methyl jasmonate, indole-3-acetic acid, and abscisic acid phytohormones, thus providing evidence that ABF4-mediated signaling is involved in balancing growth and defense responses via coordination of hormone-mediated signaling pathways. The ability to maintain the barrier properties of the epidermis is largely due to the cell walls, which are covered with specialized lipids. This fine structure at the outermost region of the cell walls of epidermal cells is called the cuticle, which has been the subject of many studies. Plants perceive and ultimately activate defense mechanisms in response to cuticular and cell wall structural components e.g. oligogalacturonides released by the action of degradative enzymes secreted by pathogenic bacteria or fungi. Cuticle alterations induce a battery of reactions that often result in reactive oxygen species production and resistance to necrotrophic pathogens. However, the source of ROS generated upon altered cuticle status and the acute downstream defense signaling pathways involved in such defense remains elusive. Study III provides evidence that ROS produced by class III apoplastic peroxidases suppress the expression of cuticle-biosynthetic genes, and together with ABA, regulate the formation of the cuticle envelope. However, resistance to necrotrophic pathogens in cuticle-depleted plants is a result of activated OG signaling components and function independently of salicylic acid and jasmonic acid signaling pathways. This thesis demonstrates the use of Arabidopsis in studying the genetic basis of plant defense mechanisms. It provides novel insights on plant resistance to pathogens, and reveals how cuticular defects activate defense via OG signaling pathway.
Source: Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja
Author: Mantas Survila
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2605078240