BayCEER Workshop 2023

“Sweet Systemic Immunity”—Eminent role of carbohydrates in plant-pathogen interaction

O 3.1 in Zooming in: Small scale findings

12.10.2023, 09:40-09:55, H 36

In nature, plants perpetually interact with pathogens of different parasitic lifestyles. Plants adapt to the invading pathogens by driving up signaling network based immune responses. Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) is an inducible defense system against a broad spectrum of (hemi-) biotrophic pathogens and is regulated by a complex biomolecular network. SAR is an ecologically sound defense mechanism since it involves plant’s innate metabolites against the invaders. Carbohydrates are the plant’s primary metabolites with versatile functional activity including in the defense system. Therefore, we aimed to unravel the molecular mechanism of carbohydrate mediated SAR in the model plant Arabidopsis. We screened several carbohydrates to characterize their efficiency in the establishment of SAR against the bacteria Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato (Pst). We found xylose and N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) are two of the best monosaccharides that regulate the SAR establishment.  Exogenous xylose feeding in the plants induced systemic resistance and depends on other plant components like Enhanced Disease Susceptibility 1 (EDS1) and Legume Lectin Like protein 1 (LLP1). However, xylose does not restrict or prompt the growth of Pst in vitro. NAG enhanced systemic resistance against the Pst likewise xylose. We also found that NAG induced immunity depends on EDS1 and ß-D Xyloidine 4 (BXL4) components. In summary, we showed that plants primary metabolites xylose and NAG can activate the SAR network in Arabidopsis and provide resistance against the pathogen Pst. Future planned experimental applications will be discussed.

Keywords: plant-pathogen interaction carbohydrate systemic resistance

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