Project description:The objective of this study was to characterize a serpin from Theobroma cacao, called TcSERPIN, to identify its endogenous targets and determine its function and biotechnological potential. The protease trap containing immobilized rTcSERPIN captured endogenous defense proteins from cocoa extracts that are related to metabolic pathways, stress and defense.
Project description:Inoculation of endophyte-free (E-) Theobroma cacao leaves with Colletotrichum tropicale (E+), the dominant foliar fungal endophyte in healthy T. cacao, induced significant changes in the expression of hundreds of host genes. Further, E+ leaves exhibit enhanced pathogen resistance, increased lignin and cellulose content, reduced maximum rates of photosynthesis (Amax), and enrichment of nitrogen-15 and carbon-13 isotopes that all correspond to the changes in expression of specific functional genes in related pathways. Moreover, a cacao gene highly up-regulated in E+ leaves increases pathogen resistance apart from any direct endophyte effects. Thus, benefits of increased pathogen resistance in E+ plants are partially due to enhanced induction of intrinsic host defense pathways, and potential costs include reduced photosynthetic capacity and endophyte metabolism of host tissues. Similar effects are likely to be properties of most plant-endophyte interactions, suggesting general relevance to the design and interpretation of studies of genetic and phenotypic expression in plants. This was a time course experiment, which objective was to assess gene expression changes in leaves of Theobroma cacao due to inoculation with endophyte Colletotrichum tropicale, over a period of two weeks. Three un-inoculated T. cacao leaves (E-) were collected at time 0, just prior to inoculation, and four T. cacao leaves inoculated with C. tropicale (E+) were collected at 3, 7, and 14 dpi, each leaf from a different plant. Sampled leaves were of developmental stage C-D (MejM-CM--a et al. 2012). MejM-CM--a, L.C., Guiltinan, M., J. , Shi, Z., Landherr, L., and Maximova, S., N. (2012). Expression of Designed Antimicrobial Peptides in Theobroma cacao L. Trees Reduces Leaf Necrosis Caused by Phytophthora spp, in Small Wonders: Peptides for Disease Control. American Chemical Society), 379-395.
Project description:Inoculation of endophyte-free (E-) Theobroma cacao leaves with Colletotrichum tropicale (E+), the dominant foliar fungal endophyte in healthy T. cacao, induced significant changes in the expression of hundreds of host genes. Further, E+ leaves exhibit enhanced pathogen resistance, increased lignin and cellulose content, reduced maximum rates of photosynthesis (Amax), and enrichment of nitrogen-15 and carbon-13 isotopes that all correspond to the changes in expression of specific functional genes in related pathways. Moreover, a cacao gene highly up-regulated in E+ leaves increases pathogen resistance apart from any direct endophyte effects. Thus, benefits of increased pathogen resistance in E+ plants are partially due to enhanced induction of intrinsic host defense pathways, and potential costs include reduced photosynthetic capacity and endophyte metabolism of host tissues. Similar effects are likely to be properties of most plant-endophyte interactions, suggesting general relevance to the design and interpretation of studies of genetic and phenotypic expression in plants. The objective of this experiment was to identify Theobroma cacao genes that are differentially expressed between leaves inoculated with fungal endophyte Colletotrichum tropicale (E+ leaves) and control un-inoculated leaves (E- leaves) 3 days post endophyte inoculation. The experiment was conducted in a Percival growth chamber (model I35LL, 115 volts, 1/4 Hp, series: 8503122.16, Percival Scientific, Inc., Perry IA) with 12/12 h light/dark photoperiod and temperatures of 30M-BM-:C and 26M-BM-:C respectively. Inoculation was done by aspersion of endophyte spores (2X10^6 spore/ml) to a group of T. cacao seedlings and a second group of seedlings were maintained as control un-inoculated (E- leaves). Then three biological replicates (each one consisting of one leaf from different plants) per treatment E+ and four leaves per treatment E- leaves) were collected and processed for a two color oligo microarray analysis.
Project description:Inoculation of endophyte-free (E-) Theobroma cacao leaves with Colletotrichum tropicale (E+), the dominant foliar fungal endophyte in healthy T. cacao, induced significant changes in the expression of hundreds of host genes. Further, E+ leaves exhibit enhanced pathogen resistance, increased lignin and cellulose content, reduced maximum rates of photosynthesis (Amax), and enrichment of nitrogen-15 and carbon-13 isotopes that all correspond to the changes in expression of specific functional genes in related pathways. Moreover, a cacao gene highly up-regulated in E+ leaves increases pathogen resistance apart from any direct endophyte effects. Thus, benefits of increased pathogen resistance in E+ plants are partially due to enhanced induction of intrinsic host defense pathways, and potential costs include reduced photosynthetic capacity and endophyte metabolism of host tissues. Similar effects are likely to be properties of most plant-endophyte interactions, suggesting general relevance to the design and interpretation of studies of genetic and phenotypic expression in plants. The objective of this experiment was to identify Theobroma cacao genes that are differentially expressed between leaves inoculated with fungal endophyte Colletotrichum tropicale (E+ leaves) and control un-inoculated leaves (E- leaves) 14 days post last endophyte inoculation. The experiment was conducted in a Percival growth chambers (model I35LL, 115 volts, 1/4 Hp, series: 8503122.16, Percival Scientific, Inc., Perry IA) with 12/12 h light/dark photoperiod and temperatures of 30M-BM-:C and 26M-BM-:C respectively. A total of four endophyte spore inoculations (1X10^6 spore/ml) were made by aspersion to a group of T. cacao seedlings and a second group of seedlings were maintained as un-inoculated. Then six biological replicates per treatment (E+ leaves and six E- leaves) each one belonging from a different seedling were collected and processed for a two color oligo microarray analysis. A total of six arrays were processed, each one hybridized to an inoculated and a control un-inoculated sample in a dye swap design.