Project Type: Graduate Student
Funds awarded in 2022: $29,836.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2024
Host Institution Award ID: G130-23-W9212
Grant Recipient:
Oregon State University
Region: Western
State: Oregon
Graduate Student:
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Aymeric Goyer
Oregon State University
Description:
Background Previous reports in several plant species have shown that thiamin applied on foliage primes plant immunity and is effective in controlling fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases. However, the effectiveness of thiamin against potato (Solanum tuberosum) pathogens has seldom been investigated. Additionally, the transcriptomics and metabolomics of immune priming by thiamin have not previously been investigated. Here, we tested the effect of thiamin application against Alternaria solani, a necrotrophic fungus that causes early blight disease on potato foliage, and identified associated changes in gene expression and metabolite content.
Results Foliar applications of thiamin reduced lesion size by approximately 33% when applied at an optimal concentration of 10 mM. However, the effect of thiamin on preventing lesion growth was temporally limited, as we observed a reduction of lesion size when leaves were inoculated 4 h, but not 24 h, following thiamin treatment. Additionally, we found that the effect of thiamin on lesion size was restricted to the site of application and was not systemic. Gene expression analysis via RNA-seq showed that thiamin induced the expression of genes involved in the synthesis of salicylic acid (SA) and phenylpropanoids to higher levels than the pathogen alone, as well as fatty acid metabolism genes that may be related to jasmonic acid biosynthesis. Thiamin also delayed the downregulation of photosynthesis-associated genes in plants inoculated with A. solani, which is a typical plant response to pathogens, but could also induce a similar repression of primary metabolic pathways in non-infected leaves. Metabolite analyses revealed that thiamin treatment in the absence of pathogen decreased the amounts of several organic compounds involved in the citric acid cycle as well as sugars, sugar alcohols, and amino acids.
Conclusions Our study indicates that thiamin priming of plant defenses may occur through perturbation of primary metabolic pathways and a re-allocation of energy resources towards defense activities.
Results Foliar applications of thiamin reduced lesion size by approximately 33% when applied at an optimal concentration of 10 mM. However, the effect of thiamin on preventing lesion growth was temporally limited, as we observed a reduction of lesion size when leaves were inoculated 4 h, but not 24 h, following thiamin treatment. Additionally, we found that the effect of thiamin on lesion size was restricted to the site of application and was not systemic. Gene expression analysis via RNA-seq showed that thiamin induced the expression of genes involved in the synthesis of salicylic acid (SA) and phenylpropanoids to higher levels than the pathogen alone, as well as fatty acid metabolism genes that may be related to jasmonic acid biosynthesis. Thiamin also delayed the downregulation of photosynthesis-associated genes in plants inoculated with A. solani, which is a typical plant response to pathogens, but could also induce a similar repression of primary metabolic pathways in non-infected leaves. Metabolite analyses revealed that thiamin treatment in the absence of pathogen decreased the amounts of several organic compounds involved in the citric acid cycle as well as sugars, sugar alcohols, and amino acids.
Conclusions Our study indicates that thiamin priming of plant defenses may occur through perturbation of primary metabolic pathways and a re-allocation of energy resources towards defense activities.
Type:
Article/Newsletter/Blog
File:
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Target audience:
Researchers
This product is associated with the project "Testing thiamin as an immunity inducer against bacterial and fungal pathogens in potato"
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.