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Realini FM, Escobedo VM, Ueno AC, Bastías DA, Schardl CL, Biganzoli F, Gundel PE. Anti-herbivory defences delivered by Epichloë fungal endophytes: a quantitative review of alkaloid concentration variation among hosts and plant parts. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2024; 133:509-520. [PMID: 38320313 PMCID: PMC11037487 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcae014] [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: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS In the subfamily Poöideae (Poaceae), certain grass species possess anti-herbivore alkaloids synthesized by fungal endophytes that belong to the genus Epichloë (Clavicipitaceae). The protective role of these symbiotic endophytes can vary, depending on alkaloid concentrations within specific plant-endophyte associations and plant parts. METHODS We conducted a literature review to identify articles containing alkaloid concentration data for various plant parts in six important pasture species, Lolium arundinaceum, Lolium perenne, Lolium pratense, Lolium multiflorum|Lolium rigidum and Festuca rubra, associated with their common endophytes. We considered the alkaloids lolines (1-aminopyrrolizidines), peramine (pyrrolopyrazines), ergovaline (ergot alkaloids) and lolitrem B (indole-diterpenes). While all these alkaloids have shown bioactivity against insect herbivores, ergovaline and lolitrem B are harmful for mammals. KEY RESULTS Loline alkaloid levels were higher in the perennial grasses L. pratense and L. arundinaceum compared to the annual species L. multiflorum and L. rigidum, and higher in reproductive tissues than in vegetative structures. This is probably due to the greater biomass accumulation in perennial species that can result in higher endophyte mycelial biomass. Peramine concentrations were higher in L. perenne than in L. arundinaceum and not affected by plant part. This can be attributed to the high within-plant mobility of peramine. Ergovaline and lolitrem B, both hydrophobic compounds, were associated with plant parts where fungal mycelium is usually present, and their concentrations were higher in plant reproductive tissues. Only loline alkaloid data were sufficient for below-ground tissue analyses and concentrations were lower than in above-ground parts. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides a comprehensive synthesis of fungal alkaloid variation across host grasses and plant parts, essential for understanding the endophyte-conferred defence extent. The patterns can be understood by considering endophyte growth within the plant and alkaloid mobility. Our study identifies research gaps, including the limited documentation of alkaloid presence in roots and the need to investigate the influence of different environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia M Realini
- IFEVA, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Laboratorio de Citogenética y Evolución (LaCyE), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución (IEGEBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Víctor M Escobedo
- Instituto de Investigación Interdisciplinaria (I3), Universidad de Talca, Campus Talca, Chile
- Centro de Ecología Integrativa, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Andrea C Ueno
- IFEVA, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Investigación Interdisciplinaria (I3), Universidad de Talca, Campus Talca, Chile
- Centro de Ecología Integrativa, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Daniel A Bastías
- AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | | | - Fernando Biganzoli
- Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de Información, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pedro E Gundel
- IFEVA, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Centro de Ecología Integrativa, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
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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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Shi X, Qin T, Qu Y, Zhang J, Hao G, Zhao N, Gao Y, Ren A. Infection by Endophytic Epichloë sibirica Was Associated with Activation of Defense Hormone Signal Transduction Pathways and Enhanced Pathogen Resistance in the Grass Achnatherum sibiricum. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2022; 112:2310-2320. [PMID: 35704677 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-12-21-0521-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Epichloë endophytes can improve the resistance of host grasses to pathogenic fungi, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we used phytohormone quantifications, gene expression analysis, and pathogenicity experiments to investigate the effect of Epichloë sibirica on the resistance of Achnatherum sibiricum to Curvularia lunata pathogens. Comparison of gene expression patterns between endophyte-infected and endophyte-free leaves revealed that endophyte infection was associated with significant induction of 1,758 and 765 differentially expressed genes in the host before and after pathogen inoculation, respectively. Functional analysis of the differentially expressed genes suggested that endophyte infection could activate the constitutive resistance of the host by increasing photosynthesis, enhancing the ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species, and actively regulating the expression of genes with function related to disease resistance. We found that endophyte infection was associated with induction of the expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis pathways of jasmonic acid, ethylene, and pipecolic acid and amplified the defense response of the jasmonic acid/ethylene co-regulated EIN/ERF1 transduction pathway and Pip-mediated TGA transduction pathway. Phytohormone quantifications showed that endophyte infection was associated with significant accumulation of jasmonic acid, ethylene, and pipecolic acid after pathogen inoculation. Exogenous phytohormone treatments confirmed that the disease index of plants was negatively related to both jasmonic acid and ethylene concentrations. Our results demonstrate that endophyte infection can not only improve the constitutive resistance of the host to phytopathogens before pathogen inoculation but also be associated with enhanced systemic resistance of the host to necrotrophs after C. lunata inoculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinjian Shi
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Tianzi Qin
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yaobing Qu
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Junzhen Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Guang Hao
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
- College of Environmental Science & Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Nianxi Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yubao Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Anzhi Ren
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
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4
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Nagabhyru P, Dinkins RD, Schardl CL. Transcriptome analysis of Epichloë strains in tall fescue in response to drought stress. Mycologia 2022; 114:697-712. [PMID: 35671366 DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2022.2060008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Epichloë coenophiala, a systemic fungal symbiont (endophyte) of tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum), has been documented to confer to this grass better persistence than plants lacking the endophyte, especially under stress conditions such as drought. The response, if any, of the endophyte to imposition of stress on the host plant has not been characterized previously. Therefore, we investigated effects on gene expression by E. coenophiala and a related endophyte when plant-endophyte symbiota were subjected to acute water-deficit stress. Plants harboring different endophyte strains were grown in sand in the greenhouse, then half were deprived of water for 48 h and the other half were watered controls. RNA was isolated from different plant tissues, and mRNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was conducted to identify genes that were differentially expressed comparing stress treatment with control. We compared two different plants harboring the common toxic E. coenophiala strain (CTE) and two non-ergot-alkaloid-producing Epichloë strains in tall fescue pseudostems, and in a second experiment we compared responses of E. coenophiala CTE in plant pseudostem and crown tissues. The endophytes responded to the stress with increased expression of genes involved in oxidative stress response, oxygen radical detoxification, C-compound carbohydrate metabolism, heat shock, and cellular transport pathways. The magnitude of fungal gene responses during stress varied among plant-endophyte symbiota. Responses in pseudostems and crowns involved some common pathways as well as some tissue-specific pathways. The fungal response to water-deficit stress involved gene expression changes in similar pathways that have been documented for plant stress responses, indicating that Epichloë spp. and their host plants either coordinate stress responses or separately activate similar stress response mechanisms that work together for mutual protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Padmaja Nagabhyru
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546
| | - Randy D Dinkins
- Forage-Animal Production Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Lexington, Kentucky 40546
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Berry D, Lee K, Winter D, Mace W, Becker Y, Nagabhyru P, Treindl AD, Bogantes EV, Young CA, Leuchtmann A, Johnson LJ, Johnson RD, Cox MP, Schardl CL, Scott B. Cross-species transcriptomics identifies core regulatory changes differentiating the asymptomatic asexual and virulent sexual life cycles of grass-symbiotic Epichloë fungi. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac043. [PMID: 35191483 PMCID: PMC8982410 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Fungi from the genus Epichloë form systemic endobiotic infections of cool season grasses, producing a range of host-protective natural products in return for access to nutrients. These infections are asymptomatic during vegetative host growth, with associations between asexual Epichloë spp. and their hosts considered mutualistic. However, the sexual cycle of Epichloë spp. involves virulent growth, characterized by the envelopment and sterilization of a developing host inflorescence by a dense sheath of mycelia known as a stroma. Microscopic analysis of stromata revealed a dramatic increase in hyphal propagation and host degradation compared with asymptomatic tissues. RNAseq was used to identify differentially expressed genes in asymptomatic vs stromatized tissues from 3 diverse Epichloë-host associations. Comparative analysis identified a core set of 135 differentially expressed genes that exhibited conserved transcriptional changes across all 3 associations. The core differentially expressed genes more strongly expressed during virulent growth encode proteins associated with host suppression, digestion, adaptation to the external environment, a biosynthetic gene cluster, and 5 transcription factors that may regulate Epichloë stroma formation. An additional 5 transcription factor encoding differentially expressed genes were suppressed during virulent growth, suggesting they regulate mutualistic processes. Expression of biosynthetic gene clusters for natural products that suppress herbivory was universally suppressed during virulent growth, and additional biosynthetic gene clusters that may encode production of novel host-protective natural products were identified. A comparative analysis of 26 Epichloë genomes found a general decrease in core differentially expressed gene conservation among asexual species, and a specific decrease in conservation for the biosynthetic gene cluster expressed during virulent growth and an unusual uncharacterized gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Berry
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Kate Lee
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - David Winter
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Wade Mace
- AgResearch Ltd, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Yvonne Becker
- Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Julius Kühn Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Padmaja Nagabhyru
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - Artemis D Treindl
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Adrian Leuchtmann
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Murray P Cox
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | | | - Barry Scott
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
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Ueno AC, Gundel PE, Ghersa CM, Agathokleous E, Martínez-Ghersa MA. Seed-borne fungal endophytes constrain reproductive success of host plants under ozone pollution. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 202:111773. [PMID: 34324850 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Tropospheric ozone is among the global change factors that pose a threat to plants and microorganisms. Symbiotic microorganisms can assist plants to cope with stress, but their role in the tolerance of plants to ozone is poorly understood. Here, we subjected endophyte-symbiotic and non-symbiotic plants of Lolium multiflorum, an annual species widely distributed in temperate grasslands, to high and low (i.e., charcoal-filtered air) ozone levels at vegetative and reproductive phases. Exposure to high ozone reduced leaf photochemical efficiency and greenness in both symbiotic and non-symbiotic plants. However, ozone-induced oxidative damage at biochemical level (i.e., lipid peroxidation) was mostly detected in symbiotic plants. Ozone exposure at the vegetative phase did not affect the reproductive investment in seeds, indicating full recovery from stress. Ozone exposure at the reproductive phase reduced biomass and seed production only in symbiotic plants indicating a symbiont-associated cost. At low ozone, endophyte-symbiotic plants showed a steeper slope in the relationship between seed number and seed weight (i.e., a number-weight trade-off) compared to non-symbiotic plants. However, when plants were treated at the reproductive phase, ozone increased the imbalance between seed number and seed weight in both endophyte-symbiotic and non-symbiotic plants. Plants with endophytes at the reproductive stage produced fewer seeds, which were not compensated by increased seed weight. Thus, fungal mycelium growing within ovaries or ozone-induced antioxidant systems may result in costs that finally depress the fitness of plants. Despite ozone pollution could destabilize plant-endophyte mutualisms and render them dysfunctional, other endophyte-mediated benefits (e.g., resistance to herbivory, tolerance to drought) could over-compensate these losses and explain the high incidence of the symbiosis in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Ueno
- IFEVA, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Facultad de Agronomía, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Pedro E Gundel
- IFEVA, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Facultad de Agronomía, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Campus Lircay, Talca, Chile
| | - Claudio M Ghersa
- IFEVA, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Facultad de Agronomía, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Evgenios Agathokleous
- Key Laboratory of Agrometeorology of Jiangsu Province, Department of Ecology, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST), Nanjing, China
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Lee K, Missaoui A, Mahmud K, Presley H, Lonnee M. Interaction between Grasses and Epichloë Endophytes and Its Significance to Biotic and Abiotic Stress Tolerance and the Rhizosphere. Microorganisms 2021; 9:2186. [PMID: 34835312 PMCID: PMC8623577 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9112186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cool-season grasses are the most common forage types in livestock operations and amenities. Several of the cool-season grasses establish mutualistic associations with an endophytic fungus of the Epichloë genus. The grasses and endophytic fungi have evolved over a long period of time to form host-fungus specific relationships that confer protection for the grass against various stressors in exchange for housing and nutrients to the fungus. This review provides an overview of the mechanisms by which Epichloë endophytes and grasses interact, including molecular pathways for secondary metabolite production. It also outlines specific mechanisms by which the endophyte helps protect the plant from various abiotic and biotic stressors. Finally, the review provides information on how Epichloë infection of grass and stressors affect the rhizosphere environment of the plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendall Lee
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (K.L.); (H.P.)
| | - Ali Missaoui
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (K.L.); (H.P.)
- Department of Crop and Soil Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
| | - Kishan Mahmud
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
| | - Holly Presley
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (K.L.); (H.P.)
| | - Marin Lonnee
- Department of Crop and Soil Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
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Lee K, Missaoui A, Mahmud K, Presley H, Lonnee M. Interaction between Grasses and Epichloë Endophytes and Its Significance to Biotic and Abiotic Stress Tolerance and the Rhizosphere. Microorganisms 2021. [PMID: 34835312 DOI: 10.1007/10.3390/microorganisms9112186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cool-season grasses are the most common forage types in livestock operations and amenities. Several of the cool-season grasses establish mutualistic associations with an endophytic fungus of the Epichloë genus. The grasses and endophytic fungi have evolved over a long period of time to form host-fungus specific relationships that confer protection for the grass against various stressors in exchange for housing and nutrients to the fungus. This review provides an overview of the mechanisms by which Epichloë endophytes and grasses interact, including molecular pathways for secondary metabolite production. It also outlines specific mechanisms by which the endophyte helps protect the plant from various abiotic and biotic stressors. Finally, the review provides information on how Epichloë infection of grass and stressors affect the rhizosphere environment of the plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendall Lee
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Ali Missaoui
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Crop and Soil Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Kishan Mahmud
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Holly Presley
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Marin Lonnee
- Department of Crop and Soil Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Hettiarachchige IK, Vander Jagt CJ, Mann RC, Sawbridge TI, Spangenberg GC, Guthridge KM. Global Changes in Asexual Epichloë Transcriptomes during the Early Stages, from Seed to Seedling, of Symbiotum Establishment. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9050991. [PMID: 34064362 PMCID: PMC8147782 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9050991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Asexual Epichloë fungi are strictly seed-transmitted endophytic symbionts of cool-season grasses and spend their entire life cycle within the host plant. Endophyte infection can confer protective benefits to its host through the production of bioprotective compounds. Inversely, plants provide nourishment and shelter to the resident endophyte in return. Current understanding of the changes in global gene expression of asexual Epichloë endophytes during the early stages of host-endophyte symbiotum is limited. A time-course study using a deep RNA-sequencing approach was performed at six stages of germination, using seeds infected with one of three endophyte strains belonging to different representative taxa. Analysis of the most abundantly expressed endophyte genes identified that most were predicted to have a role in stress and defence responses. The number of differentially expressed genes observed at early time points was greater than those detected at later time points, suggesting an active transcriptional reprogramming of endophytes at the onset of seed germination. Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed dynamic changes in global gene expression consistent with the developmental processes of symbiotic relationships. Expression of pathway genes for biosynthesis of key secondary metabolites was studied comprehensively and fuzzy clustering identified some unique expression patterns. Furthermore, comparisons of the transcriptomes from three endophyte strains in planta identified genes unique to each strain, including genes predicted to be associated with secondary metabolism. Findings from this study highlight the importance of better understanding the unique properties of individual endophyte strains and will serve as an excellent resource for future studies of host-endophyte interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inoka K. Hettiarachchige
- Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia; (I.K.H.); (C.J.V.J.); (R.C.M.); (T.I.S.); (G.C.S.)
| | - Christy J. Vander Jagt
- Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia; (I.K.H.); (C.J.V.J.); (R.C.M.); (T.I.S.); (G.C.S.)
| | - Ross C. Mann
- Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia; (I.K.H.); (C.J.V.J.); (R.C.M.); (T.I.S.); (G.C.S.)
| | - Timothy I. Sawbridge
- Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia; (I.K.H.); (C.J.V.J.); (R.C.M.); (T.I.S.); (G.C.S.)
- School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - German C. Spangenberg
- Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia; (I.K.H.); (C.J.V.J.); (R.C.M.); (T.I.S.); (G.C.S.)
- School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Kathryn M. Guthridge
- Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia; (I.K.H.); (C.J.V.J.); (R.C.M.); (T.I.S.); (G.C.S.)
- Correspondence:
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Geddes-McAlister J, Sukumaran A, Patchett A, Hager HA, Dale JCM, Roloson JL, Prudhomme N, Bolton K, Muselius B, Powers J, Newman JA. Examining the Impacts of CO 2 Concentration and Genetic Compatibility on Perennial Ryegrass- Epichloë festucae var lolii Interactions. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6040360. [PMID: 33322591 PMCID: PMC7770580 DOI: 10.3390/jof6040360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is the most cultivated cool-season grass worldwide with crucial roles in carbon fixation, turfgrass applications, and fodder for livestock. Lolium perenne forms a mutualism with the strictly vertically transmitted fungal endophyte, Epichloë festucae var lolii. The fungus produces alkaloids that protect the grass from herbivory, as well as conferring protection from drought and nutrient stress. The rising concentration of atmospheric CO2, a proximate cause of climatic change, is known to have many direct and indirect effects on plant growth. There is keen interest in how the nature of this plant-fungal interaction will change with climate change. Lolium perenne is an obligately outcrossing species, meaning that the genetic profile of the host is constantly being reshuffled. Meanwhile, the fungus is asexual implying both a relatively constant genetic profile and the potential for incompatible grass-fungus pairings. In this study, we used a single cultivar, "Alto", of L. perenne. Each plant was infected with one of four strains of the endophyte: AR1, AR37, NEA2, and Lp19 (the "common strain"). We outcrossed the Alto mothers with pollen from a number of individuals from different ryegrass cultivars to create more genetic diversity in the hosts. We collected seed such that we had replicate maternal half-sib families. Seed from each family was randomly allocated into the two levels of the CO2 treatment, 400 and 800 ppm. Elevated CO2 resulted in an c. 18% increase in plant biomass. AR37 produced higher fungal concentrations than other strains; NEA2 produced the lowest fungal concentrations. We did not find evidence of genetic incompatibility between the host plants and the fungal strains. We conducted untargeted metabolomics and quantitative proteomics to investigate the grass-fungus interactions between and within family and treatment groups. We identified a number of changes in both the proteome and metabalome. Taken together, our data set provides new understanding into the intricacy of the interaction between endophyte and host from multiple molecular levels and suggests opportunity to promote plant robustness and survivability in rising CO2 environmental conditions through application of bioprotective epichloid strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Geddes-McAlister
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (A.S.); (N.P.); (B.M.)
- Mass Spectrometry Facility—Advanced Analysis Centre, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
- Correspondence: (J.G.-M.); (J.A.N.)
| | - Arjun Sukumaran
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (A.S.); (N.P.); (B.M.)
| | - Aurora Patchett
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (A.P.); (H.A.H.); (J.C.M.D.); (J.L.R.); (K.B.); (J.P.)
| | - Heather A. Hager
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (A.P.); (H.A.H.); (J.C.M.D.); (J.L.R.); (K.B.); (J.P.)
| | - Jenna C. M. Dale
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (A.P.); (H.A.H.); (J.C.M.D.); (J.L.R.); (K.B.); (J.P.)
| | - Jennifer L. Roloson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (A.P.); (H.A.H.); (J.C.M.D.); (J.L.R.); (K.B.); (J.P.)
| | - Nicholas Prudhomme
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (A.S.); (N.P.); (B.M.)
| | - Kim Bolton
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (A.P.); (H.A.H.); (J.C.M.D.); (J.L.R.); (K.B.); (J.P.)
| | - Benjamin Muselius
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (A.S.); (N.P.); (B.M.)
| | - Jacqueline Powers
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (A.P.); (H.A.H.); (J.C.M.D.); (J.L.R.); (K.B.); (J.P.)
| | - Jonathan A. Newman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (A.P.); (H.A.H.); (J.C.M.D.); (J.L.R.); (K.B.); (J.P.)
- Correspondence: (J.G.-M.); (J.A.N.)
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11
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Caradus JR, Johnson LJ. Epichloë Fungal Endophytes-From a Biological Curiosity in Wild Grasses to an Essential Component of Resilient High Performing Ryegrass and Fescue Pastures. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:E322. [PMID: 33261217 PMCID: PMC7720123 DOI: 10.3390/jof6040322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between Epichloë endophytes found in a wide range of temperate grasses spans the continuum from antagonistic to mutualistic. The diversity of asexual mutualistic types can be characterised by the types of alkaloids they produce in planta. Some of these are responsible for detrimental health and welfare issues of ruminants when consumed, while others protect the host plant from insect pests and pathogens. In many temperate regions they are an essential component of high producing resilient tall fescue and ryegrass swards. This obligate mutualism between fungus and host is a seed-borne technology that has resulted in several commercial products being used with high uptake rates by end-user farmers, particularly in New Zealand and to a lesser extent Australia and USA. However, this has not happened by chance. It has been reliant on multi-disciplinary research teams undertaking excellent science to understand the taxonomic relationships of these endophytes, their life cycle, symbiosis regulation at both the cellular and molecular level, and the impact of secondary metabolites, including an understanding of their mammalian toxicity and bioactivity against insects and pathogens. Additionally, agronomic trials and seed biology studies of these microbes have all contributed to the delivery of robust and efficacious products. The supply chain from science, through seed companies and retailers to the end-user farmer needs to be well resourced providing convincing information on the efficacy and ensuring effective quality control to result in a strong uptake of these Epichloë endophyte technologies in pastoral agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R. Caradus
- Grasslanz Technology Ltd., Palmerston North PB11008, New Zealand
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12
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Ueno AC, Gundel PE, Ghersa CM, Demkura PV, Card SD, Mace WJ, Martínez-Ghersa MA. Ontogenetic and trans-generational dynamics of a vertically transmitted fungal symbiont in an annual host plant in ozone-polluted settings. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2020; 43:2540-2550. [PMID: 32705695 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Tropospheric ozone is an abiotic stress of increasing importance in the context of global climate change. This greenhouse gas is a potent phytotoxic molecule with demonstrated negative effects on crop yield and natural ecosystems. Recently, oxidative stress has been proposed as a mechanism that could regulate the interaction between cool-season grasses and Epichloë endophytes. We hypothesized that exposure of Lolium multiflorum plants, hosting endophytes to an ozone-polluted environment at different ontogenetic phases, would impact the trans-generational dynamics of the vertically transmitted fungal symbiont. Here, we found that the ozone-induced stress on the mother plants did not affect the endophyte vertical transmission but it impaired the persistence of the fungus in the seed exposed to artificial ageing. Endophyte longevity in seed was reduced by exposure of the mother plant to ozone. Although ozone exposure did not influence either the endophyte mycelial concentration or their compound defences (loline alkaloids), a positive correlation was observed between host fitness and the concentration of endophyte-derived defence compounds. This suggests that fungal defences in grass seeds were not all produced in situ but remobilized from the vegetative tissues. Our study reveals ozone trans-generational effects on the persistence of a beneficial symbiont in a host grass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Ueno
- IFEVA, Facultad de Agronomía, Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente, CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453, Buenos Aires, C1417DSE, Argentina
| | - Pedro E Gundel
- IFEVA, Facultad de Agronomía, Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente, CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453, Buenos Aires, C1417DSE, Argentina
| | - Claudio M Ghersa
- IFEVA, Facultad de Agronomía, Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente, CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453, Buenos Aires, C1417DSE, Argentina
| | - Patricia V Demkura
- IFEVA, Facultad de Agronomía, Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente, CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453, Buenos Aires, C1417DSE, Argentina
| | - Stuart D Card
- Forage Science, AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, Private Bag 11008, New Zealand
| | - Wade J Mace
- Forage Science, AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, Private Bag 11008, New Zealand
| | - María Alejandra Martínez-Ghersa
- IFEVA, Facultad de Agronomía, Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente, CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453, Buenos Aires, C1417DSE, Argentina
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13
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Bharadwaj R, Jagadeesan H, Kumar SR, Ramalingam S. Molecular mechanisms in grass-Epichloë interactions: towards endophyte driven farming to improve plant fitness and immunity. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 36:92. [PMID: 32562008 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-020-02868-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
All plants harbor many microbial species including bacteria and fungi in their tissues. The interactions between the plant and these microbes could be symbiotic, mutualistic, parasitic or commensalistic. Mutualistic microorganisms are endophytic in nature and are known to play a role in plant growth, development and fitness. Endophytes display complex diversity depending upon the agro-climatic conditions and this diversity could be exploited for crop improvement and sustainable agriculture. Plant-endophyte partnerships are highly specific, several genetic and molecular cascades play a key role in colonization of endophytes in host plants leading to rapid changes in host and endophyte metabolism. This results in the accumulation of secondary metabolites, which play an important role in plant defense against biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Alkaloids are one of the important class of metabolites produced by Epichloë genus and other related classes of endophytes and confer protection against insect and mammalian herbivory. In this context, this review discusses the evolutionary aspects of the Epichloë genus along with key molecular mechanisms determining the lifestyle of Epichloë endophytes in host system. Novel hypothesis is proposed to outline the initial cellular signaling events during colonization of Epichloë in cool season grasses. Complex clustering of alkaloid biosynthetic genes and molecular mechanisms involved in the production of alkaloids have been elaborated in detail. The natural defense and advantages of the endophyte derived metabolites have also been extensively discussed. Finally, this review highlights the importance of endophyte-arbitrated plant immunity to develop novel approaches for eco-friendly agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Bharadwaj
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641046, India
| | - H Jagadeesan
- Department of Biotechnology, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - S R Kumar
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641046, India
| | - S Ramalingam
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641046, India.
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14
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Wang R, Clarke BB, Belanger FC. Transcriptome Analysis of Choke Stroma and Asymptomatic Inflorescence Tissues Reveals Changes in Gene Expression in Both Epichloë festucae and Its Host Plant Festuca rubra subsp. rubra. Microorganisms 2019; 7:E567. [PMID: 31744076 PMCID: PMC6921078 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7110567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Many cool-season grasses have symbiotic relationships with Epichloë (Ascomycota, Clavicipitaceae) fungal endophytes that inhabit the intercellular spaces of the above-ground parts of the host plants. The presence of the Epichloë endophytes is generally beneficial to the hosts due to enhanced tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses conferred by the endophytes. Many Epichloë spp. are asexual, and those infections always remain asymptomatic. However, some Epichloë spp. have a sexual stage and produce a macroscopic fruiting body, a stroma, that envelops the developing inflorescence causing a syndrome termed "choke disease". Here, we report a fungal and plant gene expression analysis of choke stroma tissue and asymptomatic inflorescence tissue of Epichloë festucae-infected strong creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra subsp. rubra). Hundreds of fungal genes and over 10% of the plant genes were differentially expressed when comparing the two tissue types. The differentially expressed fungal genes in the choke stroma tissue indicated a change in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, as well as a change in expression of numerous genes for candidate effector proteins. Plant stress-related genes were up-regulated in the stroma tissue, suggesting the plant host was responding to the epiphytic stage of E. festucae as a pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Faith C. Belanger
- Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; (R.W.); (B.B.C.)
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15
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Zhang W, Mace WJ, Matthew C, Card SD. The Impact of Endophyte Infection, Seed Aging, and Imbibition on Selected Sugar Metabolite Concentrations in Seed. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2019; 67:6921-6929. [PMID: 31150238 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.9b01618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated effects of seed aging and imbibition on sugar metabolite concentrations in Epichloë endophyte-infected and endophyte-free seed of tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Two treatments, namely, accelerated aging and imbibition, were applied to the seeds, with embryo and endosperm tissues analyzed separately. Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection was employed for analysis of sugar metabolites within the seed tissues. Mannitol, ribitol, and trehalose were more abundant in embryo than endosperm tissues and were identified at consistently higher concentrations within endophyte-infected compared to endophyte-free seeds. The ratio of raffinose to sucrose significantly increased with seed aging in both endophyte-free and endophyte-infected embryo tissues, while significantly lower concentrations of trehalose were detected in tissues dissected from aged-seed regardless of endophyte status. This research provides fundamental insight into the metabolic details of endophyte survival in seed and provides a first evaluation of key carbohydrates present in the fungal-plant symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- Forage Science , AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre , Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11008 , Palmerston North 4442 , New Zealand
- School of Agriculture and Environment , Massey University , Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11222 , Palmerston North 4442 , New Zealand
| | - Wade J Mace
- Forage Science , AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre , Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11008 , Palmerston North 4442 , New Zealand
| | - Cory Matthew
- School of Agriculture and Environment , Massey University , Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11222 , Palmerston North 4442 , New Zealand
| | - Stuart D Card
- Forage Science , AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre , Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11008 , Palmerston North 4442 , New Zealand
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16
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Kothe E, Turnau K. Editorial: Mycorrhizosphere Communication: Mycorrhizal Fungi and Endophytic Fungus-Plant Interactions. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:3015. [PMID: 30568649 PMCID: PMC6290029 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Erika Kothe
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Katarzyna Turnau
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Kraków, Poland
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