General and species-specific transcriptional responses to downy mildew infection in a susceptible (Vitis vinifera) and a resistant (V. riparia) grapevine species

Abstract

BackgroundDowny mildew is a destructive grapevine disease caused by Plasmopara viticola (Berk. and Curt.) Berl. and de Toni, which can only be controlled by intensive fungicide treatments. Natural sources of resistance from wild grapevine (Vitis) species are used in conventional breeding approaches, but the signals and effectors involved in resistance in this important crop species are not well understood.ResultsEarly transcriptional changes associated with P. viticola infection in susceptible V. vinifera and resistant V. riparia plants were analyzed using the Combimatrix microarray platform. Transcript levels were measured 12 and 24 h post-inoculation, reflecting the time points immediately preceding the onset of resistance in V. riparia, as determined by microscopic analysis. Our data indicate that resistance in V. riparia is induced after infection, and is not based on differences in basal gene expression between the two species. The strong and rapid transcriptional reprogramming involves the induction of pathogenesis-related proteins and enzymes required for the synthesis of phenylpropanoid-derived compounds, many of which are also induced, albeit to a lesser extent, in V. vinifera. More interestingly, resistance in V. riparia also involves the specific modulation of numerous transcripts encoding components of signal transduction cascades, hypersensitive reaction markers and genes involved in jasmonate biosynthesis. The limited transcriptional modulation in V. vinifera represents a weak attempted defense response rather than the activation of compatibility-specific pathways.ConclusionsSeveral candidate resistance genes were identified that could be exploited in future biotechnological approaches to increase disease resistance in susceptible grapevine species. Measurements of jasmonic acid and methyl jasmonate in infected leaves suggest that this hormone may also be involved in V. riparia resistance to P. viticola.

Multiomics in Grape Berry Skin Revealed Specific Induction of the Stilbene Synthetic Pathway by Ultraviolet-C Irradiation

“…Before the release of the grape genome sequence data by Jaillon et al (2007) and Velasco et al (2007), a few omics-based studies had been reported in grape, such as the transcriptome analyses of pathogen resistance in leaves (Fung et al, 2008;Polesani et al, 2010) and the transcriptome and proteome analyses focused on grape berry development Negri et al, 2008;Lücker et al, 2009). Particularly, the accumulation of secondary metabolites is an active topic in omics-based research in grape (Ali et al, 2011).…”

Identification of genes expressed during the compatible interaction of grapevine with Plasmopara viticola through suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH)

“…Since the difference between a resistant and susceptible plant is often just a question of timing and amplitude of the adequate defence response (Polesani et al 2010), investigating a compatible interaction not only gives information on the availability of adequate defence mechanisms but will also assist in the development of new control strategies and lead to the identification of pathogen and host factors needed for disease progression. Investigating the molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions often uncovers novel aspects of plant cell biology and signalling mechanisms.…”

Modulation of Protein Phosphorylation, N-Glycosylation and Lys-Acetylation in Grape (Vitis vinifera) Mesocarp and Exocarp Owing to Lobesia botrana Infection

“…The availability of high-throughput analysis methods and a high-quality draft of the grapevine genome sequence (1) have led to the recent application of next-generation sequencing to investigate grape berry development and pathogen infection, although few proteomic studies are available. Upon infection, plants dramatically change at the molecular and biochemical levels as reflected by global transcriptome (2)(3)(4), proteome (5,6), and metabolome (7) system analyses. These studies demonstrate the importance of the complex modulation of plant metabolism and defense responses during pathogen infection.…”