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Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions: Insights on Pathology towards Sustainable Control
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Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions: Insights on Pathology towards Sustainable Control

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 9586

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Antonios Zambounis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Hellenic Agricultural Organization – Demeter, Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: plant–microbe Interactions; plant pathogens
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In order to introduce the efficient control of plant pathogens in sustainable agriculture, crops need to be adequately endowed with disease resistance, or at least tolerance. To this aim, plants have evolved a plethora of highly specialized defense mechanisms to encounter challenges by a majority of rapidly evolving microbial pathogens. These defenses can be also very dynamic, as microbes can act differently upon their co-evolution with the specific hosts. In recent years, advances in genomics technologies and in the field of plant–microbe interactions have allowed us to widely explore the mechanisms controlling plant disease responses, the cross-talk among the recruiting molecular pathways, as well the strategies employed by the pathogens to overcome these defenses. Additionally, the high availability of numerous genomics and transcriptomics data allows us to effectively decipher the molecular mechanisms underpinning pathogenesis and host specificity, and to gain insights into plant transcriptional immune responses, either in compatible or incompatible interactions. The proper interpretation of molecular plant–microbe interactions could be adopted for sustainable crop protection and pathogen control in phytopathology.

The contributions to this Special Issue on molecular plant–microbe interactions shed light on various pathosystems, leading to a more sustainable control of pathogens. In this context, we undoubtedly aim to exchange knowledge on employment and implementation of molecular plant–microbe interactions harnessing next-generation molecular technologies for sustainable agriculture, such as plant transcriptomic approaches to pathogen challenges.

Thus, we welcome submissions of any type of research articles, covering the application of a wide range of technologies and molecular plant–microbe interactions which could have an impact towards a more sustainable control of pathogens.

Dr. Antonios Zambounis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • plant–microbe interactions
  • crosstalk between plants and microbes
  • omics data and molecular techniques in plant–microbe interactions
  • transcriptomics
  • diseases
  • sustainable agriculture

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 3406 KiB  
Article
Unlocking the Transcriptional Reprogramming Repertoire between Variety-Dependent Responses of Grapevine Berries to Infection by Aspergillus carbonarius
by Charikleia K. Kavroumatzi, Anastasia Boutsika, Paula Ortega, Antonios Zambounis and Dimitrios I. Tsitsigiannis
Plants 2024, 13(15), 2043; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13152043 - 25 Jul 2024
Viewed by 830
Abstract
Aspergillus carbonarius causes severe decays on berries in vineyards and is among the main fungal species responsible for grape contamination by ochratoxin A (OTA), which is the foremost mycotoxin produced by this fungus. The main goal of this study was to investigate at [...] Read more.
Aspergillus carbonarius causes severe decays on berries in vineyards and is among the main fungal species responsible for grape contamination by ochratoxin A (OTA), which is the foremost mycotoxin produced by this fungus. The main goal of this study was to investigate at the transcriptome level the comparative profiles between two table grape varieties (Victoria and Fraoula, the white and red variety, respectively) after their inoculation with a virulent OTA-producing A. carbonarius strain. The two varieties revealed quite different transcriptomic signatures and the expression profiles of the differential expressed genes (DEGs) highlighted distinct and variety-specific responses during the infection period. The significant enrichment of pathways related to the modulation of transcriptional dynamics towards the activation of defence responses, the triggering of the metabolic shunt for the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, mainly phenylpropanoids, and the upregulation of DEGs encoding phytoalexins, transcription factors, and genes involved in plant–pathogen interaction and immune signaling transduction was revealed in an early time point in Fraoula, whereas, in Victoria, any transcriptional reprogramming was observed after a delay. However, both varieties, to some extent, also showed common expression dynamics for specific DEG families, such as those encoding for laccases and stilbene synthases. Jasmonate (JA) may play a critical modulator role in the defence machinery as various JA-biosynthetic DEGs were upregulated. Along with the broader modulation of the transcriptome that was observed in white grape, expression profiles of specific A. carbonarius genes related to pathogenesis, fungal sporulation, and conidiation highlight the higher susceptibility of Victoria. Furthermore, the A. carbonarius transcriptional patterns directly associated with the regulation of the pathogen OTA-biosynthesis gene cluster were more highly induced in Victoria than in Fraoula. The latter was less contaminated by OTA and showed substantially lower sporulation. These findings contribute to uncovering the interplay beyond this plant–microbe interaction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions: Insights on Pathology towards Sustainable Control)
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16 pages, 1706 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Biological Plant Protection Products for Their Ability to Induce Olive Innate Immune Mechanisms and Control Colletotrichum acutatum, the Causal Agent of Olive Anthracnose
by Maria Varveri, Anastasia G. Papageorgiou and Dimitrios I. Tsitsigiannis
Plants 2024, 13(6), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13060878 - 19 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1477
Abstract
Olive anthracnose is the most important fungal disease of the olive fruit worldwide, with the fungus Colletotrichum acutatum as the main cause of the disease in Greece. A total of 11 commercial biological plant protection products (bioPPPs) (Amylo-X®, Botector®, [...] Read more.
Olive anthracnose is the most important fungal disease of the olive fruit worldwide, with the fungus Colletotrichum acutatum as the main cause of the disease in Greece. A total of 11 commercial biological plant protection products (bioPPPs) (Amylo-X®, Botector®, FytoSave®, LBG 01F34®, Mevalone®, Polyversum®, Remedier®, Serenade® ASO, Sonata®, Trianum-P®, Vacciplant®), with various modes of action against the fungus C. acutatum, were evaluated by bioassays using detached fruits of two important olive Greek varieties, cv. Koroneiki and cv. Kalamon. Subsequently, the most effective bioPPPs were evaluated for their ability to induce plant defense mechanisms, by determining the expression levels of ten Olea europaea defense genes (Pal, CuaO, Aldh1, Bglu, Mpol, Lox, Phely, CHI-2, PR-10, PR-5). Remedier®, Trianum-P®, Serenade® ASO, Sonata®, and Mevalone® were the most effective in reducing disease severity, and/or inhibiting the conidia production by the fungus at high rates. Post bioPPPs application, high expression levels of several olive plant defense genes were observed. This study provides insights into commercial bioPPPs’ effectiveness in controlling olive anthracnose, as well as biocontrol-agents-mediated modulation of olive defense mechanisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions: Insights on Pathology towards Sustainable Control)
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17 pages, 4749 KiB  
Article
Insights into the Transcriptional Reprogramming of Peach Leaves Inoculated with Taphrina deformans
by Elissaios I. Maniatis, Ioanna Karamichali, Eleni Stefanidou, Anastasia Boutsika, Dimitrios I. Tsitsigiannis, Epaminondas Paplomatas, Panagiotis Madesis and Antonios Zambounis
Plants 2024, 13(6), 861; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13060861 - 16 Mar 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1379
Abstract
The dimorphic fungus Taphrina deformans is the causal agent of peach leaf curl disease, which affects leaves, flowers, and fruits. An RNA-seq approach was employed to gain insights into the transcriptional reprogramming of a peach cultivar during leaf inoculation with the yeast phase of [...] Read more.
The dimorphic fungus Taphrina deformans is the causal agent of peach leaf curl disease, which affects leaves, flowers, and fruits. An RNA-seq approach was employed to gain insights into the transcriptional reprogramming of a peach cultivar during leaf inoculation with the yeast phase of the fungus across a compatible interaction. The results uncovered modulations of specific peach differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in peaches and pathways related to either the induction of host defense responses or pathogen colonization and disease spread. Expression profiles of DEGs were shown to be highly time-dependent and related to the presence of the two forms of the fungal growth, the inoculated yeast form and the later biotrophic phase during mycelial development. In parallel, this differential reprogramming was consistent with a diphasic detection of fungal load in the challenged leaves over the 120 h after inoculation (HAI) period. Leaf defense responses either occurred during the early yeast phase inoculation at 24 HAI, mediated primarily by cell wall modification processes, or more pronouncedly during the biotrophic phase at 72 HAI, as revealed by the activation of DEGs related to pathogen perception, signaling transduction, and secondary metabolism towards restraining further hypha proliferation. On the contrary, the expression patterns of specific DEGs at 120 HAI might further contribute to host susceptibility. These findings will further allow us to elucidate the molecular responses beyond the peach—T. deformans interaction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions: Insights on Pathology towards Sustainable Control)
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26 pages, 10784 KiB  
Article
Global Transcriptome Analysis of the Peach (Prunus persica) in the Interaction System of Fruit–Chitosan–Monilinia fructicola
by Polina C. Tsalgatidou, Anastasia Boutsika, Anastasia G. Papageorgiou, Andreas Dalianis, Maria Michaliou, Michael Chatzidimopoulos, Costas Delis, Dimitrios I. Tsitsigiannis, Epaminondas Paplomatas and Antonios Zambounis
Plants 2024, 13(5), 567; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050567 - 20 Feb 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2046
Abstract
The peach (Prunus persica L.) is one of the most important stone-fruit crops worldwide. Nevertheless, successful peach fruit production is seriously reduced by losses due to Monilinia fructicola the causal agent of brown rot. Chitosan has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial properties [...] Read more.
The peach (Prunus persica L.) is one of the most important stone-fruit crops worldwide. Nevertheless, successful peach fruit production is seriously reduced by losses due to Monilinia fructicola the causal agent of brown rot. Chitosan has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial properties and may also act as an elicitor that activate defense responses in plants. As little is known about the elicitation potential of chitosan in peach fruits and its impact at their transcriptional-level profiles, the aim of this study was to uncover using RNA-seq the induced responses regulated by the action of chitosan in fruit–chitosan–M. fructicola interaction. Samples were obtained from fruits treated with chitosan or inoculated with M. fructicola, as well from fruits pre-treated with chitosan and thereafter inoculated with the fungus. Chitosan was found to delay the postharvest decay of fruits, and expression profiles showed that its defense-priming effects were mainly evident after the pathogen challenge, driven particularly by modulations of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to cell-wall modifications, pathogen perception, and signal transduction, preventing the spread of fungus. In contrast, as the compatible interaction of fruits with M. fructicola was challenged, a shift towards defense responses was triggered with a delay, which was insufficient to limit fungal expansion, whereas DEGs involved in particular processes have facilitated early pathogen colonization. Physiological indicators of peach fruits were also measured. Additionally, expression profiles of particular M. fructicola genes highlight the direct antimicrobial activity of chitosan against the fungus. Overall, the results clarify the possible mechanisms of chitosan-mediated tolerance to M. fructicola and set new foundations for the potential employment of chitosan in the control of brown rot in peaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions: Insights on Pathology towards Sustainable Control)
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18 pages, 3289 KiB  
Article
FlgI Is a Sec-Dependent Effector of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus That Can Be Blocked by Small Molecules Identified Using a Yeast Screen
by Siliang Zuo, Linghui Xu, Huiyan Zhang, Meiqian Jiang, Sifeng Wu, Lian-Hui Zhang, Xiaofan Zhou and Junxia Wang
Plants 2024, 13(2), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13020318 - 21 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1751
Abstract
Huanglongbing (HLB) is one of the most devastating diseases of citrus worldwide. The phloem-restricted bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) is considered to be the main pathogen responsible for HLB. There is currently no effective practical strategy for the control of HLB. Our understanding [...] Read more.
Huanglongbing (HLB) is one of the most devastating diseases of citrus worldwide. The phloem-restricted bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) is considered to be the main pathogen responsible for HLB. There is currently no effective practical strategy for the control of HLB. Our understanding of how pathogens cause HLB is limited because CLas has not been artificially cultured. In this study, 15 potential virulence factors were predicted from the proteome of CLas through DeepVF and PHI-base searches. One among them, FlgI, was found to inhibit yeast growth when expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The expression of the signal peptide of FlgI fused with PhoA in Escherichia coli resulted in the discovery that FlgI was a novel Sec-dependent secretory protein. We further found that the carboxyl-terminal HA-tagged FlgI was secreted via outer membrane vesicles in Sinorhizobium meliloti. Fluoresence localization of transient expression FlgI-GFP in Nicotiana benthamiana revealed that FlgI is mainly localized in the cytoplasm, cell periphery, and nuclear periphery of tobacco cells. In addition, our experimental results suggest that FlgI has a strong ability to induce callose deposition and cell necrosis in N. benthamiana. Finally, by screening a large library of compounds in a high-throughput format, we found that cyclosporin A restored the growth of FlgI-expressing yeast. These results confirm that FlgI is a novel Sec-dependent effector, enriching our understanding of CLas pathogenicity and helping to develop new and more effective strategies to manage HLB. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions: Insights on Pathology towards Sustainable Control)
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17 pages, 3113 KiB  
Article
In Planta Detection of Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) Strains as Endophytes in Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
by Teodora Cavazos-Vallejo, José Alberto Valadez-Lira, Alonso A. Orozco-Flores, Ricardo Gomez-Flores, María Julissa Ek-Ramos, Deyanira Quistián-Martínez, Juan Manuel Alcocer-González and Patricia Tamez-Guerra
Plants 2024, 13(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13010022 - 20 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1302
Abstract
Beauveria bassiana (B. bassiana) is a significant entomopathogenic fungus (EPF) in agriculture as a sprayable biocontrol agent. It has the potential to be established as an endophyte (ENP) in various crops, resulting in beneficial effects for the host plants, including resistance [...] Read more.
Beauveria bassiana (B. bassiana) is a significant entomopathogenic fungus (EPF) in agriculture as a sprayable biocontrol agent. It has the potential to be established as an endophyte (ENP) in various crops, resulting in beneficial effects for the host plants, including resistance to pest insects and increased growth and yield. However, it is not known whether a B. bassiana strain has such a favorable impact on the plant, since it is a common soil microorganism. Therefore, techniques that allow strain monitoring will be advantageous. To date, methods for detecting or monitoring a specific EPF strain after external application are scarce. In the present study, an in planta nested PCR technique was standardized to differentiate between three B. bassiana strains (GHA, PTG4, and BB37) established as endophytes in bean plants under laboratory conditions by detecting the insertion profile of four group I introns located in the 28S gene of B. bassiana ribosomal DNA. This technique recognized a distinct pattern of bands of different sizes for each strain, with a sensitivity of 1 pg per 10 ng of plant DNA. This molecular approach may be more effective monitoring B. bassiana strains after application to evaluate their significance on crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions: Insights on Pathology towards Sustainable Control)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Unraveling the Dynamics of Fungal Effector-Resistance Gene Networks in L. maculans and B. napus system
Authors: Jacqueline Batley; et al.
Affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia

Title: Genotype x genotype interaction toward plant growth promotion and biocontrol of consortia of the nitrogen-fixing symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti and Trichoderma spp. in alfalfa varieties
Authors: Francesca Vaccaro, Alessio Mengoni, Priscilla P. Bettini
Affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy

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