Scientifically advanced solutions for chestnut ink disease

Abstract

On the north regions of Portugal and Spain, the Castanea sativa Mill. culture is extremely important. The biggest productivity and yield break occurs due to the ink disease, the causal agent being the oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi. This oomycete is also responsible for the decline of many other plant species in Europe and worldwide. P. cinnamomi and Phytophthora cambivora are considered, by the generality of the authors, as the C. sativa ink disease causal agents. Most Phytophthora species secrete large amounts of elicitins, a group of unique highly conserved proteins that are able to induce hypersensitive response (HR) and enhances plant defense responses in a systemic acquired resistance (SAR) manner against infection by different pathogens. Some other proteins involved in mechanisms of infection by P. cinnamomi were identified by our group: endo-1,3-beta-glucanase (complete cds); exo-glucanase (partial cds) responsible by adhesion, penetration, and colonization of host tissues; glucanase inhibitor protein (GIP) (complete cds) responsible by the suppression of host defense responses; necrosis-inducing Phytophthora protein 1 (NPP1) (partial cds); and transglutaminase (partial cds) which inducts defense responses and disease-like symptoms. In this mini-review, we present some scientifically advanced solutions that can contribute to the resolution of ink disease.

Mycorrhization of Fagaceae Forests Within Mediterranean Ecosystems

“…Antagonistic microbes or metabolites produced by them have been also studied as potential biocontrol agents against Phytophthora spp. causing chestnut ink disease (reviewed by Choupina et al 2014). Most promising results were obtained with Trichoderma sp., Gliocladium sp., and Pseudomonas sp.…”

Species-specific duplications of NBS-encoding genes in Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima)

“…Chestnut acts as a model species for the Fagaceae that dominate the hardwood forests of the northern hemisphere 22 and have significant economic and ecological value. Chestnut can be infected with pathogens that cause diseases such as chestnut blight 23 24 , ink disease 25 or bark disease 26 27 . Furthermore, many disease resistance genes belonging to the NBS-LRR gene families have been identified 9 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 .…”

REVIEW: Novel sources and functions of microbial lipases and their role in the infection mechanisms

“…One such plant pathogen, Phytophthora cinnamomi belongs to the class of Oomycetes, that includes several of the most devastating omnivore pathogens for the natural ecosystems worldwide [52,73,74]. Phytophthora cinnamomi is a destructive and widespread soil-borne pathogen which infects woody plant hosts and, in the northeast of Portugal and in the Spanish region, has been reported to affect mainly chestnut-tree (Castanea sativa), cherry-tree (Prunus avium) and cork oak (Quercus suber), [73,[75][76][77]. In fact, P. cinnamomi, due to its capacity to destroy natural plant communities and causing diseases with and economically important impact in forestry, horticulture, and in the nursery industry, it's called by some authors as "biological bulldozer" [78].…”

“…The infection mechanism of this pathogen has been characterized by our group in previous studies [75]. Some proteins as endo-1,3-betaglucanase, endo-glucanase, glucanase inhibitor protein (GIP), necrosisinducing Phytophthora protein 1 (NPP1) and transglutaminase have been pointed to be involved in the mechanisms of infection of this pathogen [79][80][81].…”