Dataset Information

RNAseq Transcriptional Profiling following Whip Development in Sugarcane Smut Disease.

ABSTRACT: Sugarcane smut disease is caused by the biotrophic fungus Sporisorium scitamineum. The disease is characterized by the development of a whip-like structure from the primary meristems, where billions of teliospores are produced. Sugarcane smut also causes tillering and low sucrose and high fiber contents, reducing cane productivity. We investigated the biological events contributing to disease symptoms in a smut intermediate-resistant sugarcane genotype by examining the transcriptional profiles (RNAseq) shortly after inoculating the plants and immediately after whip emission. The overall picture of disease progression suggests that premature transcriptional reprogramming of the shoot meristem functions continues until the emergence of the whip. The guidance of this altered pattern is potentially primarily related to auxin mobilization in addition to the involvement of other hormonal imbalances. The consequences associated with whip emission are the modulation of typical meristematic functions toward reproductive organ differentiation, requiring strong changes in carbon partitioning and energy production. These changes include the overexpression of genes coding for invertases and trehalose-6P synthase, as well as other enzymes from key metabolic pathways, such as from lignin biosynthesis. This is the first report describing changes in the transcriptional profiles following whip development, providing a hypothetical model and candidate genes to further study sugarcane smut disease progression.

SUBMITTER: Schaker PD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5008620 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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RNAseq Transcriptional Profiling following Whip Development in Sugarcane Smut Disease.

Schaker Patricia D C PD Palhares Alessandra C AC Taniguti Lucas M LM Peters Leila P LP Creste Silvana S Aitken Karen S KS Van Sluys Marie-Anne MA Kitajima João P JP Vieira Maria L C ML Monteiro-Vitorello Claudia B CB

PloS one 20160901 9

Sugarcane smut disease is caused by the biotrophic fungus Sporisorium scitamineum. The disease is characterized by the development of a whip-like structure from the primary meristems, where billions of teliospores are produced. Sugarcane smut also causes tillering and low sucrose and high fiber contents, reducing cane productivity. We investigated the biological events contributing to disease symptoms in a smut intermediate-resistant sugarcane genotype by examining the transcriptional profiles ( ...[more]

PMID: 27583836

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Project description:Background and aimsSugarcane smut is caused by the fungus Sporisorium scitamineum (Ustilaginales/Ustilaginomycotina/Basidiomycota), which is responsible for losses in sugarcane production worldwide. Infected plants show a profound metabolic modification resulting in the development of a whip-shaped structure (sorus) composed of a mixture of plant tissues and fungal hyphae. Within this structure, ustilospores develop and disseminate the disease. Despite the importance of this disease, a detailed histopathological analysis of the plant-pathogen interaction is lacking.MethodsThe whip-shaped sorus was investigated using light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, histochemical tests and epifluorescence microscopy coupled with deconvolution.Key resultsSorus growth is mediated by intercalary meristem activity at the base of the sorus, where the fungus causes partial host cell wall degradation and formation of intercellular spaces. Sporogenesis in S. scitamineum is thallic, with ustilospore initials in intercalary or terminal positions, and mostly restricted to the base of the sorus. Ustilospore maturation is centrifugal in relation to the ground parenchyma and occurs throughout the sorus median region. At the apex of the sorus, the fungus produces sterile cells and promotes host cell detachment. Hyphae are present throughout the central axis of the sorus (columella). The plant cell produces callose around the intracellular hyphae as well as inside the papillae at the infection site.ConclusionsThe ontogeny of the whip-shaped sorus suggests that the fungus can cause the acropetal growth in the intercalary meristem. The sporogenesis of S. scitamineum was described in detail, demonstrating that the spores are formed exclusively at the base of the whip. Light was also shed on the nature of the sterile cells. The presence of the fungus alters the host cell wall composition, promotes its degradation and causes the release of some peripheral cells of the sorus. Finally, callose was observed around fungal hyphae in infected cells, suggesting that deposition of callose by the host may act as a structural response to fungal infection.

Project description:Sugarcane smut caused by Sporisorium scitamineum is a severe, global sugarcane disease with severe economic losses and is difficult to prevent. To explore more effective control techniques for smut, the effects and physiological mechanism of silicon (Si) on smut resistance in two smut-susceptible cultivars, ROC22 and Badila, were investigated. The results show that Si application significantly enhances smut resistance in ROC22 and Badila, and the incidence of sugarcane smut decreased by 11.57-22.58% (ROC22) and 27.75-46.67% (Badila). The incidence of smut is negatively correlated with the amount of Si applied and the Si content in sugarcane leaves, stems, and roots (highly significantly negatively correlated with stem Si content). Under S. scitamineum stress, the activities of pathogenesis-related enzymes, chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase, secondary metabolism-related enzymes such as polyphenoloxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine-ammonia-lyase (PAL), and the contents of secondary metabolites, total soluble phenol, and lignin in sugarcane leaves treated with Si were significantly higher than those without Si (CK). The results also demonstrated that the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of sugarcane leaves treated with Si increased in the seedling and tillering stages, and the peroxidase (POD) activity decreased in the seedling stage, which caused the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that in turn triggered defense responses. Moreover, MDA and H2O2 levels decreased, and the activities of SOD and POD increased at the jointing stage, which was beneficial to the removal of excessive ROS. Collectively, these results suggest that Si modulates pathogenesis-related protein activity, secondary metabolism, and active oxygen metabolism of sugarcane that positively regulate resistance to smut. This study is the first to reveal the physiological mechanism of Si in improving smut resistance in sugarcane, and the results provide a theoretical basis for the development of Si fertilizers to control sugarcane smut.

Dataset Information

RNAseq Transcriptional Profiling following Whip Development in Sugarcane Smut Disease.

Publications

RNAseq Transcriptional Profiling following Whip Development in Sugarcane Smut Disease.

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