Work

Hydrogen sulphide alleviates Fusarium Head Blight in wheat seedlings

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: Hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S), a crucial gas signal molecule, has been reported to be involved in various processes related to development and adversity responses in plants. However, the effects and regulatory mechanism of H 2 S in controlling Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat have not been clarified. In this study, we first reported that H 2 S released by low concentrations of sodium hydrosulphide (NaHS) could significantly alleviate the FHB symptoms caused by Fusarium graminearum ( F. graminearum ) in wheat. We also used coleoptile inoculation to investigate the related physiological and molecular mechanism. The results revealed that FHB resistance was strongly enhanced by the H 2 S released by NaHS, and 0.3 mM was confirmed as the optimal concentration. H 2 S treatment dramatically reduced the levels of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and malondialdehyde (MDA) while enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Meanwhile, the relative expressions levels of defence-related genes, including PR1.1 , PR2 , PR3 , and PR4 , were all dramatically upregulated. Our results also showed that H 2 S was toxic to F. graminearum by inhibiting mycelial growth and spore germination. Taken together, the findings demonstrated the potential value of H 2 S in mitigating the adverse effects induced by F. graminearum and advanced the current knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms in wheat.

Source: PeerJ

DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13078