BcSUN1 is a glycoprotein secreted by Botrytis cinerea, an important plant pathogen that causes severe losses in agriculture worldwide. In this work, the role of BcSUN1 in different aspects of the B. cinerea biology was studied by phenotypic analysis of Bcsun1 knockout strains. We identified BcSUN1 as the only member of the Group-I SUN family of proteins encoded in the B. cinerea genome, which is expressed both in axenic culture and during infection. BcSUN1 is also weakly attached to the cellular surface and is involved in maintaining the structure of the cell wall and/or the extracellular matrix. Disruption of the Bcsun1 gene produces different cell surface alterations affecting the production of reproductive structures and adhesion to plant surface, therefore reducing B. cinerea virulence. BcSUN1 is the first member of the SUN family reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of a filamentous fungus.
BcIEB is a small protein secreted by the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea that is recognized as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) by plants. This activity is mapped to a highly conserved region of 35 amino acids, the peptide ieb35.Moreover, it has been shown that the protein and the peptide induce systemic resistance to B. cinerea after their infiltration into tobacco leaves. In this work, the possible use of BcIBE1 or ieb35 as plant protective agents has been tested. Tobacco plants were sprayed, infiltrated, or treated at the seedling stage with the protein or the peptide, and plant susceptibility to pathogens with different lifestyles was then studied at various times after treatment. The results showed that both BcIEB1 and ieb35 caused a similar reduction in the lesion sizes caused by B. cinerea and in colonization by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci (reduced by c. 30% and c. 40%, respectively), independently of the treatment type. In addition, the number of B. cinerea inoculations leading to successful infections was also reduced in plants infiltrated or sprayed with BcIEB1/ieb35. The defence-related genes PR1a, NPR1, and osmotin ap24 were all induced by the protein and the peptide. BcIEB1, and especially ieb35, may be considered as a potential environmentally friendly treatment to increase plant resistance to pathogens. K E Y W O R D S Botrytis cinerea, elicitor, plant immunity, plant protection, systemic response S U PP O RTI N G I N FO R M ATI O N Additional supporting information may be found online in the Supporting Information section. How to cite this article: Pérez-Hernández A, González M, González C, Brito N. The elicitor protein BcIEB1 and the derived peptide ieb35 provide long-term plant protection.
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