Global transcriptome analysis and differentially expressed genes in grapevine after application of the yeast‐derived defense inducer cerevisane

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cerevisane, made up of cell wall derivatives from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain LAS117, is proposed as a resistance inducer in plants. The mode of action of cerevisane was investigated through transcriptome analysis (RNA-Seq) carried out on leaves of potted vines cv. Italia grown in the greenhouse and sprayed at 1-week intervals with cerevisane. Analyses were performed at three time points after one and three sprays as well as on vines challenged with artificial inoculation with Plasmopara viticola, Erysiphe necator and Botrytis cinerea. RESULTS: Cerevisane proved effective against downy mildew and caused an increase in expression levels of several genes related to defense responses to fungal pathogens and other stresses and down-regulation of genes involved in several processesrelated to plant growth and development. Up-regulated genes included genes encoding (i) enzymes involved in hormone metabolism (i.e. salicylic acid, jasmonate, ethylene) and related plant responses, (ii) defense compounds (i.e. pathogenesis-related proteins, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, stilbene synthases, lipoxygenase, leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein kinases, non-specific plant lipid transfer proteins, serine-threonine protein kinases involved in signal transduction, superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase involved in response to oxidative stress), (iii) secondary metabolites (i.e. phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, lignin), and (iv) photosynthetic processes (light harvesting chlorophyll A/B-binding proteins and components of the photosystems). CONCLUSION: Cerevisane can be a useful tool in protection schedules against downy mildew on grapevine aimed at reducing the usage of synthetic fungicides and preventing fungicide resistance. The results provide the first basic knowledge on the mode of action of yeast-derived elicitors effective against P. viticola on grapevine.

A New Active Substance Derived from Lyzed Willaertia magna C2c Maky Cells to Fight Grapevine Downy Mildew

“…Studies on wheat have suggested an antifungal activity against Fusarium culmorum [ 41 , 42 ], while other studies have reported antifungal activity on corn [ 43 ]. Genes coding PR4 proteins were up-regulated in this study by the AS and by COS-OGA, as well as by treatment with cerevisane [ 33 ], suggesting that the genes coding PR4 proteins are very sensitive to all types of foreign compounds.…”

“…At a dose of 1 g/L, W. magna C2c Maky lysate induced less PR protein genes (PR1, PR4, PR5, and PR8) and only at the sampling date D2, suggesting that this concentration is too low to efficiently induce plant defenses. In the same way, a dose response and an impact of the day of treatment were also demonstrated in plant defense induction by cerevisane [ 33 ]. The best induction with our AS was obtained with the PR1 protein gene.…”

“…Their mode of action is related to their sterol-binding activity [ 36 ] and suppression of cell death-dependent disease symptoms [ 37 ]. PR1 proteins also increase drought tolerance [ 38 ], and cerevisane was also shown to induce PR1 proteins [ 33 ], as well as COS-OGA (the internal check inducer of this study).…”

“…The mode of action of cerevisane was determined by transcriptomic analysis (RNA-Seq). Enzymes involved in hormone metabolism and related plant responses, defense compounds, secondary metabolites, and photosynthetic processes were up-regulated [ 33 ]. Cerevisane induced more plant defense genes than the lysate of W. magna C2c Maky, but had no direct activity against P. viticola, contrary to the lysate of W. magna C2c Maky.…”

“…W. magna C2c Maky lysate only induced the synthesis of PR2 proteins at day 3 with the highest concentration tested, whereas COS-OGA produced 3-times more genes encoding PR3 proteins at day 2. Cerevisane also up-regulated these genes [ 33 ].…”