Pectin, Lignin and Disease Resistance in Brassica napus L.: An Update

Abstract

The plant cell wall is dynamically modified during host–pathogen interactions and acts as a crucial factor controlling plant immunity. In the context of recently revised models of plant primary cell walls (PCWs), pectin is considered to be important in determining the mechanical properties of PCWs. A secondary cell wall is present in some cell types and lignin is normally present and acts to strengthen wall rigidity. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in understanding cell-wall-mediated defense responses against pathogens in Brassica napus L. (B. napus). A major part of this response involves pectin and lignin, and these two major cell wall components contribute greatly to immune responses in B. napus. Crosstalk between pectin and lignin metabolism has been detected in B. napus upon pathogen infection, suggesting a synergistic action of pectin and lignin metabolism in regulating cell wall integrity as well as wall-mediated immunity. The transcriptional regulation of cell-wall-mediated immunity in B. napus along with that in Arabidopsis is discussed, and directions for future work are proposed for a better understanding of wall-mediated plant immunity in B. napus.

Abiotic stress-induced secondary metabolite production in Brassica: opportunities and challenges

“…A recent study detailing triacontanol-mediated drought tolerance in Brassica juncea L. found that elevated lignin levels or lignification processes helps plants reduce the negative consequences of drought stress ( Ahmad et al., 2021 ). Other studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between enhanced lignin and disease resistance in B. napus ( Wang et al., 2023 ). On the contrary, moderate salinity stress in B. napus has been shown to reduce the expression of genes associated with lignin biosynthesis pathways.…”

The functional decline of tomato plants infected by Candidatus Liberbacter solanacearum: an RNA-seq transcriptomic analysis

“…Besides xyloglucan, pectin metabolism may also play an important role in plant defense response and cell wall integrity ( Wang et al., 2023a ; Wang et al., 2023b ). Pectin is also vital to intercellular communication and signal transduction ( Shin et al., 2021 ).…”