The Role of Pathogenesis-Related Proteins in the Tomato-Rhizoctonia solani Interaction

Abstract

Rhizoctonia solani is one of the most destructive pathogens causing foot rot disease on tomato. In this study, the molecular and cellular changes of a partially resistant (Sunny 6066) and a susceptible (Rio Grande) tomato cultivar after infection with necrotrophic soil-borne fungus R. solani were compared. The expression of defense-related genes such as chitinase (LOC544149) and peroxidase (CEVI-1) in infected tomato cultivars was investigated using semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This method revealed elevated levels of expression for both genes in the partially resistant cultivar compared to the susceptible cultivar. One of the most prominent facets of basal plant defense responses is the formation of physical barriers at sites of attempted fungal penetration. These structures are produced around the sites of potential pathogen ingress to prevent pathogen progress in plant tissues. We investigated formation of lignin, as one of the most important structural barriers affecting plant resistance, using thioglycolic acid assay. A correlation was found between lignification and higher level of resistance in Sunny 6066 compared to Rio Grande cultivar. These findings suggest the involvement of chitinase, peroxidase, and lignin formation in defense responses of tomato plants against R. solani as a destructive pathogen.

Cold plasma: a potential new method to manage postharvest diseases caused by fungal plant pathogens

“…RONS also play an important role in host plant resistance to microbial infection (Mittler, ; Kotchoni & Gachomo, ; Taheri & Tarighi, ). However, there are only two reports of CP inducing host resistance to plant pathogenic fungi (Table ).…”

Induction of defence-related enzymes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants treated with Bacillus subtilis CBR05 against Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria

“…The β-1, 3-glucanase (PR-2) and chitinase 4,8 and 11) are known to be more efficient against several bacterial and fungal pathogens (van Loon et al, 2006;Kocal et al, 2008). Also, or peroxidases are key enzymes in the cell-wall-building process, and it has been suggested that extracellular peroxidases would increase resistance in various plant species against phytopathogens (Cavalcanti et al, 2006;Taheri & Taheri, 2012). As a result of plant-microbe interaction, plants trigger molecular mechanisms that pass on to the rapid production of the high amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (De Leon & Montesano, 2013;Bolouri Moghaddam et al, 2015).…”

Identification and Biochemical Characterization of Resistance against Downy Mildew in Snapmelon

“…Similar result was obtained by Reuveni et al (1992) while estimating peroxidase activity in muskmelon to Pseudoperonospora cubensis where he found that the peroxidase activity was lower in highly susceptible line, intermediate in the susceptible and high in resistant cultivars. Taheri and Tarighi (2012) reported that more peroxidase activity was found in partially resistant cultivar of tomato as compared to susceptible cultivar, their findings suggest the involvement of peroxidase in defense responses of tomato plants against R. solani as a destructive pathogen.…”