Botrytis cinerea Transcriptome during the Infection Process of the Bryophyte Physcomitrium patens and Angiosperms

Abstract

Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic pathogen that causes grey mold in many plant species, including crops and model plants of angiosperms. B. cinerea also infects and colonizes the bryophyte Physcomitrium patens (previously Physcomitrella patens), which perceives the pathogen and activates defense mechanisms. However, these defenses are not sufficient to stop fungal invasion, leading finally to plant decay. To gain more insights into B. cinerea infection and virulence strategies displayed during moss colonization, we performed genome wide transcriptional profiling of B. cinerea during different infection stages. We show that, in total, 1015 B. cinerea genes were differentially expressed in moss tissues. Expression patterns of upregulated genes and gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that infection of P. patens tissues by B. cinerea depends on reactive oxygen species generation and detoxification, transporter activities, plant cell wall degradation and modification, toxin production and probable plant defense evasion by effector proteins. Moreover, a comparison with available RNAseq data during angiosperm infection, including Arabidopsis thaliana, Solanum lycopersicum and Lactuca sativa, suggests that B. cinerea has virulence and infection functions used in all hosts, while others are more specific to P. patens or angiosperms.

Physcomitrium patens Infection by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides: Understanding the Fungal–Bryophyte Interaction by Microscopy, Phenomics and RNA Sequencing

“…This reprograming of host cell response has been also described in liverwort and hornwort during colonization by symbiotic fungi [ 31 , 32 ]. Moreover, the cell death process triggered as part of the HR response, evidenced by the cytoplasmic collapse and chloroplast browning, indicates that P. patens attempted to control C. gloeosporioides infection, as was previously reported [ 23 ]. HR is triggered during association with pathogens; it plays an important role in restricting pathogen growth and also regulates the local and distant tissues defense responses [ 33 ].…”

“…Because C. gloeosporioides directly penetrates the host cell walls, their molecular composition is extensively modified and strengthened by lignification in flowering plants or accumulation of callose and phenolic compounds in non-vascular plants [ 30 ]. The positive staining with safranin-O on cells from 8 hai onward demonstrated that lignan-like compounds are accumulated in P. patens cells to reinforce its cell walls as a defense mechanism against fungal infection [ 22 , 23 , 24 ]. Consistent with our results, infection with other pathogens, such as the hemibiotrophic oomycete Phytophthora capsici and the necrotrophic fungus B. cinerea , provoke browning of chloroplasts and its migration towards the active infection site and cytoplasmatic shrinkage [ 30 ].…”

“…B. cinerea is a necrotrophic ascomycete that infects Polytrichum juniperinum Hedw. in nature [ 22 ] and P. patens in laboratory conditions [ 23 ]. The defense mechanisms of P. patens towards pathogens were recently reviewed [ 24 ].…”

ε-poly-L-lysine Affects the Vegetative Growth, Pathogenicity and Expression Regulation of Necrotrophic Pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea

“…In addition, transcriptome sequencing was used to analyze the gene expression of S. sclerotiorum treated with the fermentation broth of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens [28]. Transcriptomic analysis was also conducted to analyze critical genes involved in the infection process of B. cinerea [58], as well as the resistance-related genes of the B. cinerea B05.10 strain in response to fungicide cyprodinil and fenhexamid [57]. In this research, we showed the effective inhibitory effect of ε-PL on S. sclerotina, as well as on B. cinerea, and compared the effects of ε-PL between two typical necrotrophic patho-genic fungi by revealing regulatory trends on the critical genes and pathways of the pathogen.…”

Determination of Specific Parameters for Early Detection of Botrytis cinerea in Lettuce

“…The grey mould caused by Botrytis cinerea damages many crop hosts (over 200 species) worldwide [2,3]. This fungus mainly enters the plant via direct penetration or natural openings or wounds [4,5]. B. cinerea is also a significant threat to greenhouse-grown plants, where disease control is usually challenging and expensive [6].…”