Unraveling early events in the Taphrina deformans - Prunus persica interaction: an insight into the differential responses in resistant and susceptible genotypes

SVETAZ, LAURA A.; BUSTAMANTE, CLAUDIA A.; GOLDY, CAMILA; RIVERO, NERY; MÜLLER, GABRIELA L.; VALENTINI, GABRIEL H.; FERNIE, ALISDAIR R.; DRINCOVICH, MARÍA F.; LARA, MARÍA V.

PLANT, CELL AND ENVIRONMENT (PRINT)

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2017

0140-7791

Leaf peach curl is a devastating disease affecting leaves, flowers and fruits caused by thedimorphic fungus Taphrina deformans. To gain insight into the mechanisms of funguspathogenesis and plant responses, leaves of a resistant and two susceptible P. persicagenotypes were inoculated with blastospores (yeast), and the infection was monitored during120 hpi. Fungal dimorphism to the filamentous form and induction of ROS, callose synthesis,cell death, and defense compound production was observed independently of the genotype.Fungal load significantly decreased after 120 hpi in the resistant genotype while the pathogentended to grow in the susceptible genotypes. Metabolic profiling revealed a biphasic reprogrammingof plant tissue in susceptible genotypes, with an initial stage co-incident withthe yeast form of the fungus and a second when the hyphae is developed. Transcriptionalanalysis of PRs and plant hormone-related genes indicated that PR proteins are involved in P.persica defense responses against T. deformans and that salicylic acid is induced in theresistant genotype. Conducted experiments allowed the elucidation of common anddifferential responses in susceptible vs resistant genotypes, and thus allows us to construct apicture of early events during T. deformans infection.