| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.84 MB | Adobe PDF |
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The pinewood nematode (PWN) Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is the causal agent of the
pine wilt disease (PWD) and represents one of the major threats to conifer forests.
The detection of the PWN in Portugal, associated with Pinus pinaster, increased the
concern of its spread to European forests. Despite its susceptibility to PWD, genetic
variability found among P. pinaster populations has been associated with heritable
PWD resistance. Understanding the mechanisms underlying tree resistance constitutes
a valuable resource for breeding programs toward more resilient forest plantations.
This study investigated changes in anatomy, chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChlF), and
primary metabolism in susceptible and resistant P. pinaster half-sib plants, after PWN
inoculation. Susceptible plants showed a general shutdown of central metabolism,
osmolyte accumulation, photosynthetic inhibition, and a decrease in the plant water
status. The ChlF transient rise (OJIP curve) revealed the appearance of L- and K-bands,
indicators of environmental stress. In contrast, resistant plants revealed a regulated
defense response and were able to restrict PWN migration and cellular damage.
Furthermore, the accumulation of g-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and succinate suggested
a role of these metabolites in PWD resistance and the possible activation of the GABA
shunt. Altogether, these results provide new insights to the role of primary metabolism
in PWD resistance and in the selection of resistant phenotypes for disease mitigation
Description
Original Research
Keywords
pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) forest tree metabolomics pine wilt disease (PWD) primary metabolism chlorophyll a fluorescence (OJIP) plant resistance
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Rodrigues AM, Carrasquinho I and António C (2021) Primary Metabolite Adjustments Associated With Pinewood Nematode Resistance in Pinus pinaster. Front. Plant Sci. 12:777681
Publisher
Frontiers