Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.9
4.7
Journals
JoF
Special Issues
The Role of Fungi in Plant Defense Mechanisms 2.0
share announcement

The Role of Fungi in Plant Defense Mechanisms 2.0

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungal Genomics, Genetics and Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 6258

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Premila Achar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA
Interests: host-pathogen interaction; molecular interaction and early detection; sequencing and molecular relatedness; biological control including agrobacterium-mediated transformation and plant-based antimicrobials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants have a biological system with defense strategies against fungal pathogens. Fungi have to surpass this complex multilayered defense system to successfully establish themselves in the host. Plants possess inherent physical and chemical factors to protect themselves against pathogens, and inducible defense systems to prevent further colonization. In this interaction, the defense strategy of fungi is mainly chemical defense such as toxins, stressing the physiology of plants.

In this Special Issue of the Journal of Fungi titled “The Role of Fungi in Plant Defense Mechanisms 2.0”, we are inviting researchers to contribute to the knowledge of advancements in plant defense mechanisms against fungal infection. Sharing innovative ideas across the globe opens new opportunities to develop novel strategies against pathogenic fungi and protect economically important crops, and for the development of specific fungicides. We welcome manuscripts addressing consequential questions and theoretical investigations that advance our understanding of the following: constitutive and inducible defense systems in plants against fungal defense strategies.

Dr. Premila Achar
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. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • fungal diseases
  • epidemiology of fungal diseases
  • control of fungal diseases
  • integrated pest management
  • plant pathogenic fungi

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

16 pages, 5537 KiB  
Article
Identification and Characterization of a Plant Endophytic Fungus Paraphaosphaeria sp. JRF11 and Its Growth-Promoting Effects
by Jie Shan, Fangren Peng, Jinping Yu and Qi Li
J. Fungi 2024, 10(2), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10020120 - 31 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1175
Abstract
Endophytic fungi establish mutualistic relationships with host plants and can promote the growth and development of plants. In this study, the endophytic fungus JRF11 was isolated from Carya illinoinensis. Sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and 18S rRNA gene [...] Read more.
Endophytic fungi establish mutualistic relationships with host plants and can promote the growth and development of plants. In this study, the endophytic fungus JRF11 was isolated from Carya illinoinensis. Sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and 18S rRNA gene combined with colonial and conidial morphology identified JRF11 as a Paraphaosphaeria strain. Plant–fungus interaction assays revealed that JRF11 showed significant growth-promoting effects on plants. In particular, JRF11 significantly increased the root biomass and soluble sugar content of plants. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis demonstrated that JRF11 treatment reprogrammed a variety of genes involved in plant mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and starch and sucrose metabolism pathways through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Our research indicates that beneficial endophytic fungi are able to interact with plants and exhibit outstanding plant growth-promoting activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Fungi in Plant Defense Mechanisms 2.0)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 3182 KiB  
Article
Electrostatic Atomized Water Particles Induce Disease Resistance in Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) against Postharvest Fruit Rot Caused by Fusarium incarnatum
by Samak Kaewsuksaeng, Prisana Wonglom and Anurag Sunpapao
J. Fungi 2023, 9(7), 745; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9070745 - 13 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1111
Abstract
The postharvest quality of muskmelon can be affected by fruit rot caused by the fungus Fusarium incarnatum, resulting in loss of quality. The utilization of electrostatic atomized water particles (EAWPs) in agriculture applications has been shown to induce disease resistance in plants. [...] Read more.
The postharvest quality of muskmelon can be affected by fruit rot caused by the fungus Fusarium incarnatum, resulting in loss of quality. The utilization of electrostatic atomized water particles (EAWPs) in agriculture applications has been shown to induce disease resistance in plants. Therefore, in this study, we determined the effect of electrostatic atomized water particles (EAWPs) on the disease resistance of muskmelon fruits against postharvest fruit rot caused by F. incarnatum. EAWPs were applied to muskmelon fruits for 0, 30, 60, and 90 min. EAWP-treated muskmelon fruits were inoculated with F. incarnatum, and disease progress was measured. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) of the chitinase (CmCHI) and β-1,3-glucanase (CmGLU) genes of Cucumis melo (muskmelon) was performed for EAWP-treated and -untreated muskmelon fruits. The activities of cell-wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs), chitinase, and β-1,3-glucanase were also assayed in EAWP-treated and -untreated muskmelon fruits. The results showed that disease progress was limited by EAWP treatment for 30 min prior to pathogen inoculation. Muskmelon fruits treated with EAWPs for 30 min showed an upregulation of CWDE genes, CmCHI and CmGLU, as observed by qRT-PCR, leading to high chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase activities, as observed through enzyme assays. The results of SEM microscopy revealed that the effect of the crude enzymes of EAWP-treated muskmelon caused morphological changes in F. incarnatum mycelia. Furthermore, treatment with EAWPs preserved postharvest quality in muskmelon, including with regard to texture stiffness and total chlorophyll contents, compared to untreated muskmelon. These results demonstrate that the pretreatment of muskmelon with EAWPs suppresses the development of F. incarnatum in the early stage of infection by regulating gene expression of CWDEs and elevating the activities of CWDEs, while also maintaining postharvest muskmelon quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Fungi in Plant Defense Mechanisms 2.0)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3081 KiB  
Article
Effect of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi on the Drought Resistance of Pinus massoniana Seedlings
by Min Li, Haoyun Wang, Xizhou Zhao, Wanyan Feng, Guijie Ding and Wenxuan Quan
J. Fungi 2023, 9(4), 471; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9040471 - 14 Apr 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1414
Abstract
Studies on the dynamics of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) play an important role in understanding the mechanisms of plant responses to drought stress. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECMF) on the content and distribution of NSCs [...] Read more.
Studies on the dynamics of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) play an important role in understanding the mechanisms of plant responses to drought stress. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECMF) on the content and distribution of NSCs in Pinus massoniana seedlings under different drought intensities and to further explore the possible mechanism by which ECMF enhances the stress resistance of host plants. We conducted a pot experiment using P. massoniana seedlings that were inoculated (M) or non-inoculated (NM) with Suillus luteus (Sl) under well-watered, moderate, and severe drought stress conditions. The results showed that drought significantly reduced the photosynthetic capacity of P. massoniana seedlings and inhibited their growth rate. P. massoniana could respond to different degrees of drought stress by increasing the accumulation of NSCs and increasing WUE. However, compared with well-watered treatment, NSCs consumption began to appear in the roots of NM due to the decrease in starch content under severe drought, whereas NSCs content in M seedlings was higher than that in the well-watered treatment, showing that the ability to maintain C balance was higher in M seedlings. Compared with NM, inoculation with Sl increased the growth rate and biomass of roots, stems, and leaves under moderate and severe drought. In addition, Sl can also improve the gas exchange parameters (net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, intercellular CO2 concentration and stomatal conductance) of P. massoniana seedlings compared with NM seedlings, which was conducive to the hydraulic regulation of seedlings and improved their C fixation capacity. Meanwhile, the content of NSCs in M seedlings was higher. Moreover, the soluble sugar content and SS/St ratio of leaves, roots, and whole plants were higher under drought stress after Sl inoculation, indicating that Sl could also change the C distribution mode, regulate more soluble sugar to respond to drought stress, which was conducive to improving the osmotic adjustment ability of seedlings, and providing more available C sources for plant growth and defense. Overall, inoculation with Sl could enhance the drought resistance of seedlings and promote their growth under drought stress by improving NSCs storage, increasing soluble sugar distribution, and improving the plant water balance of P. massoniana seedlings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Fungi in Plant Defense Mechanisms 2.0)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

34 pages, 1219 KiB  
Review
Fungal Endophytes as Mitigators against Biotic and Abiotic Stresses in Crop Plants
by H. G. Gowtham, P. Hema, Mahadevamurthy Murali, N. Shilpa, K. Nataraj, G. L. Basavaraj, Sudarshana Brijesh Singh, Mohammed Aiyaz, A. C. Udayashankar and Kestur Nagaraj Amruthesh
J. Fungi 2024, 10(2), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10020116 - 30 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1897
Abstract
The escalating global food demand driven by a gradually expanding human population necessitates strategies to improve agricultural productivity favorably and mitigate crop yield loss caused by various stressors (biotic and abiotic). Biotic stresses are caused by phytopathogens, pests, and nematodes, along with abiotic [...] Read more.
The escalating global food demand driven by a gradually expanding human population necessitates strategies to improve agricultural productivity favorably and mitigate crop yield loss caused by various stressors (biotic and abiotic). Biotic stresses are caused by phytopathogens, pests, and nematodes, along with abiotic stresses like salt, heat, drought, and heavy metals, which pose serious risks to food security and agricultural productivity. Presently, the traditional methods relying on synthetic chemicals have led to ecological damage through unintended impacts on non-target organisms and the emergence of microbes that are resistant to them. Therefore, addressing these challenges is essential for economic, environmental, and public health concerns. The present review supports sustainable alternatives, emphasizing the possible application of fungal endophytes as innovative and eco-friendly tools in plant stress management. Fungal endophytes demonstrate capabilities for managing plants against biotic and abiotic stresses via the direct or indirect enhancement of plants’ innate immunity. Moreover, they contribute to elevated photosynthesis rates, stimulate plant growth, facilitate nutrient mineralization, and produce bioactive compounds, hormones, and enzymes, ultimately improving overall productivity and plant stress resistance. In conclusion, harnessing the potentiality of fungal endophytes represents a promising approach toward the sustainability of agricultural practices, offering effective alternative solutions to reduce reliance on chemical treatments and address the challenges posed by biotic and abiotic stresses. This approach ensures long-term food security and promotes environmental health and economic viability in agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Fungi in Plant Defense Mechanisms 2.0)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop