Physcomitrella patens Activates Defense Responses against the Pathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Guillermo Reboledo¹  Raquel del Campo¹  Alfonso Alvarez¹  Marcos Montesano²  Hຜtor Mara¹  Inés Ponce de León¹ 

[1] Department of Molecular Biology, Clemente Estable Biological Research Institute, Avenida Italia 3318, CP 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay; E-Mails:;Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Nuclear Research Center, Faculty of Sciences, Mataojo 2055, CP 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay; E-Mail:

关键词: Physcomitrella patens;    Colletotrichum gloeosporioides;    defense responses;    cell wall;    chloroplasts relocation;    gene expression;    auxin signaling;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms160922280

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The moss Physcomitrella patens is a suitable model plant to analyze the activation of defense mechanisms after pathogen assault. In this study, we show that Colletotrichum gloeosporioides isolated from symptomatic citrus fruit infects P. patens and cause disease symptoms evidenced by browning and maceration of tissues. After C. gloeosporioides infection, P. patens reinforces the cell wall by the incorporation of phenolic compounds and induces the expression of a Dirigent-protein-like encoding gene that could lead to the formation of lignin-like polymers. C. gloeosporioides-inoculated protonemal cells show cytoplasmic collapse, browning of chloroplasts and modifications of the cell wall. Chloroplasts relocate in cells of infected tissues toward the initially infected C. gloeosporioides cells. P. patens also induces the expression of the defense genes PAL and CHS after fungal colonization. P. patens reporter lines harboring the auxin-inducible promoter from soybean (GmGH3) fused to β-glucuronidase revealed an auxin response in protonemal tissues, cauloids and leaves of C. gloeosporioides-infected moss tissues, indicating the activation of auxin signaling. Thus, P. patens is an interesting plant to gain insight into defense mechanisms that have evolved in primitive land plants to cope with microbial pathogens.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.