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Nie X, Zhao Z, Zhang X, Bastías DA, Nan Z, Li C. Endophytes Alleviate Drought-Derived Oxidative Damage in Achnatherum inebrians Plants Through Increasing Antioxidants and Regulating Host Stress Responses. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2024; 87:73. [PMID: 38758374 PMCID: PMC11101377 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02391-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Endophytes generally increase antioxidant contents of plants subjected to environmental stresses. However, the mechanisms by which endophytes alter the accumulation of antioxidants in plant tissues are not entirely clear. We hypothesized that, in stress situations, endophytes would simultaneously reduce oxidative damage and increase antioxidant contents of plants and that the accumulation of antioxidants would be a consequence of the endophyte ability to regulate the expression of plant antioxidant genes. We investigated the effects of the fungal endophyte Epichloë gansuensis (C.J. Li & Nan) on oxidative damage, antioxidant contents, and expression of representative genes associated with antioxidant pathways in Achnatherum inebrians (Hance) Keng plants subjected to low (15%) and high (60%) soil moisture conditions. Gene expression levels were measured using RNA-seq. As expected, the endophyte reduced the oxidative damage by 17.55% and increased the antioxidant contents by 53.14% (on average) in plants subjected to low soil moisture. In line with the accumulation of antioxidants in plant tissues, the endophyte increased the expression of most plant genes associated with the biosynthesis of antioxidants (e.g., MIOX, crtB, gpx) while it reduced the expression of plant genes related to the metabolization of antioxidants (e.g., GST, PRODH, ALDH). Our findings suggest that endophyte ability of increasing antioxidant contents in plants may reduce the oxidative damage caused by stresses and that the fungal regulation of plant antioxidants would partly explain the accumulation of these compounds in plant tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiumei Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Zhenrui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Xingxu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China.
| | - Daniel A Bastías
- Grasslands Research Centre, AgResearch Limited, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand.
| | - Zhibiao Nan
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Chunjie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
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Bastías DA, Ueno AC, Gundel PE. Global Change Factors Influence Plant-Epichloë Associations. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040446. [PMID: 37108902 PMCID: PMC10145611 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
There is an increasing interest in determining the influence of global change on plant–microorganism interactions. We review the results of experiments that evaluated the effects of the global change factors carbon dioxide, ozone, temperature, drought, flooding, and salinity on plant symbioses with beneficial Epichloë endophytes. The factors affected the performance of both plants and endophytes as well as the frequency of plants symbiotic with the fungus. Elevated carbon dioxide levels and low temperatures differentially influenced the growth of plants and endophytes, which could compromise the symbioses. Furthermore, we summarise the plant stage in which the effects of the factors were quantified (vegetative, reproductive, or progeny). The factors ozone and drought were studied at all plant stages, but flooding and carbon dioxide were studied in just a few of them. While only studied in response to ozone and drought, evidence showed that the effects of these factors on symbiotic plants persisted trans-generationally. We also identified the putative mechanisms that would explain the effects of the factors on plant–endophyte associations. These mechanisms included the increased contents of reactive oxygen species and defence-related phytohormones, reduced photosynthesis, and altered levels of plant primary metabolites. Finally, we describe the counteracting mechanisms by which endophytes would mitigate the detrimental effects of the factors on plants. In presence of the factors, endophytes increased the contents of antioxidants, reduced the levels of defence-related phytohormones, and enhanced the plant uptake of nutrients and photosynthesis levels. Knowledge gaps regarding the effects of global change on plant–endophyte associations were identified and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A. Bastías
- AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Andrea C. Ueno
- Centro de Ecología Integrativa, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3480094, Chile
- Instituto de Investigación Interdisciplinaria (I3), Universidad de Talca, Campus Talca, Talca 3480094, Chile
| | - Pedro E. Gundel
- Centro de Ecología Integrativa, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3480094, Chile
- Facultad de Agronomía, IFEVA, CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1417DSE, Argentina
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Rahnama M, Maclean P, Fleetwood DJ, Johnson RD. Comparative Transcriptomics Profiling of Perennial Ryegrass Infected with Wild Type or a Δ velA Epichloë festucae Mutant Reveals Host Processes Underlying Mutualistic versus Antagonistic Interactions. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9020190. [PMID: 36836305 PMCID: PMC9959145 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Epichloë species form bioprotective endophytic symbioses with many cool-season grasses, including agriculturally important forage grasses. Despite its importance, relatively little is known about the molecular details of the interaction and the regulatory genes involved. VelA is a key global regulator in fungal secondary metabolism and development. In previous studies, we showed the requirement of velA for E. festucae to form a mutualistic interaction with Lolium perenne. We showed that VelA regulates the expression of genes encoding proteins involved in membrane transport, fungal cell wall biosynthesis, host cell wall degradation, and secondary metabolism, along with several small-secreted proteins in Epichloë festucae. Here, by a comparative transcriptomics analysis on perennial ryegrass seedlings and mature plants, which are endophyte free or infected with wild type (mutualistic interaction) or mutant ΔvelA E. festucae (antagonistic or incompatible interaction), regulatory effects of the endophytic interaction on perennial ryegrass development was studied. We show that ΔvelA mutant associations influence the expression of genes involved in primary metabolism, secondary metabolism, and response to biotic and abiotic stresses compared with wild type associations, providing an insight into processes defining mutualistic versus antagonistic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa Rahnama
- Department of Biology, Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, TN 38505, USA
- AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
- Correspondence: (M.R.); (R.D.J.)
| | - Paul Maclean
- AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | | | - Richard D. Johnson
- AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
- Correspondence: (M.R.); (R.D.J.)
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Perlikowski D, Skirycz A, Marczak Ł, Lechowicz K, Augustyniak A, Michaelis Ä, Kosmala A. Metabolism of crown tissue is crucial for drought tolerance and recovery after stress cessation in Lolium/Festuca forage grasses. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:396-414. [PMID: 36214776 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
A process of plant recovery after drought cessation is a complex trait which has not been fully recognized. The most important organ associated with this phenomenon in monocots, including forage grasses, is the crown tissue located between shoots and roots. The crown tissue is a meristematic crossroads for metabolites and other compounds between these two plant organs. Here, for the first time, we present a metabolomic and lipidomic study focused on the crown tissue under drought and recovery in forage grasses, important for agriculture in European temperate regions. The plant materials involve high (HDT) and low drought-tolerant (LDT) genotypes of Festuca arundinacea, and Lolium multiflorum/F. arundinacea introgression forms. The obtained results clearly demonstrated that remodeling patterns of the primary metabolome and lipidome in the crown under drought and recovery were different between HDT and LDT plants. Furthermore, HDT plants accumulated higher contents of primary metabolites under drought in the crown tissue, especially carbohydrates which could function as osmoprotectants and storage materials. On the other hand, LDT plants characterized by higher membranes damage under drought, simultaneously accumulated membrane phospholipids in the crown and possessed the capacity to recover their metabolic functions after stress cessation to the levels observed in HDT plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawid Perlikowski
- Plant Physiology Team, Institute of Plant Genetics Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, Poznan 60-479, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Skirycz
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
- Boyce Thompson Institute, 533 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Łukasz Marczak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poznan 61-704, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Lechowicz
- Plant Physiology Team, Institute of Plant Genetics Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, Poznan 60-479, Poland
| | - Adam Augustyniak
- Plant Physiology Team, Institute of Plant Genetics Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, Poznan 60-479, Poland
- Centre for Advanced Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 10, Poznan 61-614, Poland
| | - Änna Michaelis
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Arkadiusz Kosmala
- Plant Physiology Team, Institute of Plant Genetics Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, Poznan 60-479, Poland
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