Perturbations in the Primary Metabolism of Tomato and Arabidopsis thaliana Plants Infected with the Soil-Borne Fungus Verticillium dahliae

Abstract

The hemibiotrophic soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae is a major pathogen of a number of economically important crop species. Here, the metabolic response of both tomato and Arabidopsis thaliana to V. dahliae infection was analysed by first using non-targeted GC-MS profiling. The leaf content of both major cell wall components glucuronic acid and xylose was reduced in the presence of the pathogen in tomato but enhanced in A. thaliana. The leaf content of the two tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates fumaric acid and succinic acid was increased in the leaf of both species, reflecting a likely higher demand for reducing equivalents required for defence responses. A prominent group of affected compounds was amino acids and based on the targeted analysis in the root, it was shown that the level of 12 and four free amino acids was enhanced by the infection in, respectively, tomato and A. thaliana, with leucine and histidine being represented in both host species. The leaf content of six free amino acids was reduced in the leaf tissue of diseased A. thaliana plants, while that of two free amino acids was raised in the tomato plants. This study emphasizes the role of primary plant metabolites in adaptive responses when the fungus has colonized the plant.

The dynamic transcriptome and metabolomics profiling in Verticillium dahliae inoculated Arabidopsis thaliana

“…Transcription factors mediate the expression levels of a series of genes and are tightly associated with pathways. Therefore, they can contribute both to the biological processes of normal development and to resistance against biotic and abiotic stimuli in plants 30 , 31 . Among the DEGs from 0 hpi to 24 hpi, we identified 477 independent genes as putative transcription factors by searching PlantTFDB2.0 from a comprehensive plant transcription factor database (PlantTFDB; http://planttfdb.cbi.pku.edu.cn ).…”

“…The pathogen-associated expression patterns of pivotal genes are closely related to primary and secondary metabolism. In the defense response to V. dahliae , for example, carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism are reprogrammed and photosynthesis processes are depressed 30 . Xu et al .…”

Transcriptome dynamic of Arabidopsis roots infected with Phytophthora parasitica identifies VQ29, a gene induced during the penetration and involved in the restriction of infection

“…By contrast, we found that ET-mediated pathways and the downstream transcription factor gene ERF1 were activated from the start of penetration and that the expression of ET-responsive genes steadily increased during infection. Studies of root defense responses to filamentous pathogens have shown that not all pathogens activate the same signaling pathways [ 18 , 29 , 84 – 90 ]. Nevertheless, ET- and JA-dependent defenses seem to be frequently triggered in infected roots.…”

Plant-to-Plant Variability in Root Metabolite Profiles of 19 Arabidopsis thaliana Accessions Is Substance-Class-Dependent

“…For GC/MS analysis, 40 µL of the root extract were vacuum-evaporated and subjected to a derivatization with (1) methoxyamine hydrochloride and (2) N , O -bis(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide as previously described [ 13 ]. Derivatized samples were injected in a splitless manner into a split/splitless inlet of an Agilent 6890N GC and a ZB-5 column (30 m × 0.25 mm, 0.25 m 95% dimethyl/5% diphenyl polysiloxane film, 10 m integrated guard column, Phenomenex, Aschaffenburg, Germany) at 230 °C.…”