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Control of Plant Pathogens for a Greener Future: Induced Systemic...
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Control of Plant Pathogens for a Greener Future: Induced Systemic Resistance and Epigenetics

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 35041

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sotiris Tjamos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Phytopathology Department, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Interests: biological control; epigenetics; microbial volatile organic conmpounds; plant–microbe interactions; soil-borne diseases; induced systemic resistance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jane Debode

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture Fisheries and Food, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
Interests: biological control; microbiome; plant–microbe interactions; organic amendments, circular economy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the battle of crop protection, there is a constant need for the development of new disease management strategies, since pathogens are prone to developing resistance to fungicides, overcome plant resistance genes, and a few of them have structures, such as microsclerotia, inaccessible to fungicides. In addition, in recent decades, public opinion has urged the use of agricultural products with minimal fungicide residues. Therefore, there is a need for innovative green disease management strategies. In this direction, the exploitation of induced systemic resistance (ISR) and epigenetics may offer valuable tools in crop protection.

Induced systemic resistance offers long-lasting broad-spectrum plant protection against pathogens. Several microorganisms, chemical compounds, or organic amendments have been reported to trigger ISR, through a process known as priming. In parallel, the application of microorganisms, chemical compounds, or organic amendments to plants, except for enhancing the defense responses of the treated plants, may also result in disease-resistant offspring. The observed disease resistance has been attributed to epigenetic modifications via histone modifications and DNA methylation. Recent studies concluded that epigenetic modifications can significantly influence the expression of genes related to the plant immune responses. Therefore, the induction of plant defenses through chromatin modifications may result in the production of plant material with increased resistance against a range of plant pathogens, resulting in the reduced use of pesticides.

This Special Issue of Plants will highlight the use of microbes, chemical compounds, or organic amendments to trigger ISR and epigenetic modifications leading to plant protection, the underlying transcriptomic and metabolomic mechanisms, and the associations between ISR and epigenetics.

Dr. Sotiris Tjamos
Dr. Jane Debode
Guest Editors

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

  • Biological control agents
  • Crop protection
  • Defense responses
  • Disease resistance
  • Elicitors
  • Microbiome
  • Organic amendments
  • Plant pathogens

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1030 KiB  
Article
A Case of Plant Vaccination: Enhancement of Plant Immunity against Verticillium dahliae by Necrotized Spores of the Pathogen
by Eirini G. Poulaki, Maria Frantzeska Triviza, Marius Malai and Sotirios E. Tjamos
Plants 2022, 11(13), 1691; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11131691 - 26 Jun 2022
Viewed by 1622
Abstract
The soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae is causing a devastating vascular disease in more than 200 species of dicotyledonous plants. The pathogen attacks susceptible plants through the roots, colonizes the plant vascular system, and causes the death of aerial tissues. In this study, we [...] Read more.
The soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae is causing a devastating vascular disease in more than 200 species of dicotyledonous plants. The pathogen attacks susceptible plants through the roots, colonizes the plant vascular system, and causes the death of aerial tissues. In this study, we used Arabidopsis and eggplants to examine the plant protective and immunization effects of autoclaved V. dahliae spores against V. dahliae. We observed that the application of V. dahliae autoclaved spores in eggplants and Arabidopsis resulted in enhanced protection against V. dahliae, since the disease severity and pathogen colonization were lower in the plants treated with V. dahliae autoclaved spores when compared to controls. In addition, upregulation of the defense related genes PR1 and PDF1.2 in the Arabidopsis plants treated with the V. dahliae autoclaved spores was revealed. Furthermore, pathogenicity experiments in the Arabidopsis mutant cerk1, defective in chitin perception, revealed a loss of protection against V. dahliae in the cerk1 treated with the V. dahliae autoclaved spores. The participation of the chitin receptor CERK1 is evident in Arabidopsis immunization against V. dahliae using autoclaved spores of the pathogen. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control of Plant Pathogens for a Greener Future: Induced Systemic Resistance and Epigenetics)
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17 pages, 4521 KiB  
Article
Root Transcriptional and Metabolic Dynamics Induced by the Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacterium (PGPR) Bacillus subtilis Mbi600 on Cucumber Plants
by Anastasios Samaras, Nathalie Kamou, Georgios Tzelepis, Katerina Karamanoli, Urania Menkissoglu-Spiroudi and George S. Karaoglanidis
Plants 2022, 11(9), 1218; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091218 - 30 Apr 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3314
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis MBI600 is a commercialized plant growth-promoting bacterial species used as a biocontrol agent in many crops, controlling various plant pathogens via direct or indirect mechanisms. In the present study, a detailed transcriptomic analysis of cucumber roots upon response to the Bs [...] Read more.
Bacillus subtilis MBI600 is a commercialized plant growth-promoting bacterial species used as a biocontrol agent in many crops, controlling various plant pathogens via direct or indirect mechanisms. In the present study, a detailed transcriptomic analysis of cucumber roots upon response to the Bs MBI600 strain is provided. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis showed altered gene expression in more than 1000 genes at 24 and 48 h post-application of Bs MBI600. Bs MBI600 induces genes involved in ISR and SAR signaling. In addition, genes involved in phytohormone production and nutrient availability showed an upregulation pattern, justifying the plant growth promotion. Biocontrol ability of Bs MBI600 seems also to be related to the activation of defense-related genes, such as peroxidase, endo-1,3(4)-beta-glucanase, PR-4, and thaumatin-like. Moreover, KEGG enriched results showed that differentially expressed genes were classified into biocontrol-related pathways. To further investigate the plant’s response to the presence of PGPR, a profile of polar metabolites of cucumber treated with Bs MBI600 was performed and compared to that of untreated plants. The results of the current study gave insights into the mechanisms deployed by this biocontrol agent to promote plant resistance, helping to understand the molecular interactions in this system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control of Plant Pathogens for a Greener Future: Induced Systemic Resistance and Epigenetics)
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21 pages, 1747 KiB  
Article
Can Grafting Manage Fusarium Wilt Disease of Cucumber and Increase Productivity under Heat Stress?
by Tarek A. Shalaby, Naglaa A. Taha, Mohamed T. Rakha, Hossam S. El-Beltagi, Wael F. Shehata, Khaled M. A. Ramadan, Hassan El-Ramady and Yousry A. Bayoumi
Plants 2022, 11(9), 1147; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091147 - 24 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2852
Abstract
Cucumber production is considered a crucial problem under biotic and abiotic stress, particularly in arid and semi-arid zones. The current study investigated the impact of grafted cucumber plants on five cucurbit rootstocks under infection with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum alone and in [...] Read more.
Cucumber production is considered a crucial problem under biotic and abiotic stress, particularly in arid and semi-arid zones. The current study investigated the impact of grafted cucumber plants on five cucurbit rootstocks under infection with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum alone and in combination with heat stress in two different locations (i.e., Kafr El-Sheikh and Sidi Salem) during the year of 2021. The rootstock of VSS-61 F1 displayed the highest level of resistance with values 20.8 and 16.6% for wilt incidence and 79.2 and 83.4% for the wilt reduction, respectively for both locations. This rootstock showed the lowest disease severity of fusarium wilt (15.3 and 12%), and high grafting efficiency (85 and 88%), respectively in both locations. Grafting also improved plant vigor and cucumber production under heat stress (40–43 °C). The rootstocks VSS-61 F1, Ferro and Super Shintoza significantly increased the total yield of cucumber plants compared to non-grafted cucumber and the rootstock Bottle gourd in both locations. Further studies are needed on grafted plants under multiple stresses in terms of plant biological levels, including physiological, biochemical and genetic attributes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control of Plant Pathogens for a Greener Future: Induced Systemic Resistance and Epigenetics)
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18 pages, 4264 KiB  
Article
Genomic Analysis and Secondary Metabolites Production of the Endophytic Bacillus velezensis Bvel1: A Biocontrol Agent against Botrytis cinerea Causing Bunch Rot in Post-Harvest Table Grapes
by Kallimachos Nifakos, Polina C. Tsalgatidou, Eirini-Evangelia Thomloudi, Aggeliki Skagia, Dimitrios Kotopoulis, Eirini Baira, Costas Delis, Konstantinos Papadimitriou, Emilia Markellou, Anastasia Venieraki and Panagiotis Katinakis
Plants 2021, 10(8), 1716; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10081716 - 20 Aug 2021
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 5348
Abstract
Botrytis bunch rot caused by Botrytis cinerea is one of the most economically significant post-harvest diseases of grapes. In the present study, we showed that the bacterial strain Bvel1 is phylogenetically affiliated to Bacillus velezensis species. The strain Bvel1 and its secreted metabolites [...] Read more.
Botrytis bunch rot caused by Botrytis cinerea is one of the most economically significant post-harvest diseases of grapes. In the present study, we showed that the bacterial strain Bvel1 is phylogenetically affiliated to Bacillus velezensis species. The strain Bvel1 and its secreted metabolites exerted an antifungal activity, under in vitro conditions, against B. cinerea. UHPLC–HRMS chemical analysis revealed that iturin A2, surfactin-C13 and -C15, oxydifficidin, bacillibactin, L-dihydroanticapsin, and azelaic acid were among the metabolites secreted by Bvel1. Treatment of wounded grape berries with Bacillus sp. Bvel1 cell culture was effective for controlling grey mold ingress and expansion in vivo. The effectiveness of this biological control agent was a function of the cell culture concentration of the antagonist applied, while preventive treatment proved to be more effective compared to curative. The strain Bvel1 exhibited an adequate colonization efficiency in wounded grapes. The whole-genome phylogeny, combined with ANI and dDDH analyses, provided compelling evidence that the strain Bvel1 should be taxonomically classified as Bacillus velezensis. Genome mining approaches showed that the strain Bvel1 harbors 13 antimicrobial biosynthetic gene clusters, including iturin A, fengycin, surfactin, bacilysin, difficidin, bacillaene, and bacillibactin. The results provide new insights into the understanding of the endophytic Bacillus velezensis Bvel1 biocontrol mechanism against post-harvest fungal pathogens, including bunch rot disease in grape berries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control of Plant Pathogens for a Greener Future: Induced Systemic Resistance and Epigenetics)
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17 pages, 2099 KiB  
Article
Bacillus subtilis MBI600 Promotes Growth of Tomato Plants and Induces Systemic Resistance Contributing to the Control of Soilborne Pathogens
by Anastasios Samaras, Efstathios Roumeliotis, Panagiota Ntasiou and George Karaoglanidis
Plants 2021, 10(6), 1113; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061113 - 31 May 2021
Cited by 51 | Viewed by 5082
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis MBI600 (Bs MBI600) is a recently commercialized plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR). In this study, we investigated the effects of Bs MBI600 on the growth of tomato and its biocontrol efficacy against three main soilborne tomato pathogens (Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium [...] Read more.
Bacillus subtilis MBI600 (Bs MBI600) is a recently commercialized plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR). In this study, we investigated the effects of Bs MBI600 on the growth of tomato and its biocontrol efficacy against three main soilborne tomato pathogens (Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium ultimum, and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. radicis-lycopersici-Forl). Furthermore, the root colonization ability of the Bs MBI600 strain on tomato roots was analyzed in vivo with a yellow fluorescence protein (yfp)-labeled strain, revealing strong colonization ability, which was affected by the root growth substrate. The application of Bs MBI600 on tomato plants resulted in significant increases in shoot and root lengths. Transcriptional activation of two auxin-related genes (SiPin6 and SiLax4) was observed. Single applications of Bs MBI600 on inoculated tomato plants with pathogens revealed satisfactory control efficacy compared to chemical treatment. Transcriptomic analysis of defense-related genes used as markers of the salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathway (PR-1A and GLUA) or jasmonic acid/ethylene (JA/ET) signaling pathway (CHI3, LOXD, and PAL) showed increased transcription patterns in tomato plants treated with Bs MBI600 or Forl. These results indicate the biochemical and molecular mechanisms that are activated after the application of Bs MBI600 on tomato plants and suggest that induction of systemic resistance (ISR) occurred. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control of Plant Pathogens for a Greener Future: Induced Systemic Resistance and Epigenetics)
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Review

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19 pages, 1051 KiB  
Review
Induced Systemic Resistance for Improving Plant Immunity by Beneficial Microbes
by Yiyang Yu, Ying Gui, Zijie Li, Chunhao Jiang, Jianhua Guo and Dongdong Niu
Plants 2022, 11(3), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11030386 - 30 Jan 2022
Cited by 112 | Viewed by 15652
Abstract
Plant beneficial microorganisms improve the health and growth of the associated plants. Application of beneficial microbes triggers an enhanced resistance state, also termed as induced systemic resistance (ISR), in the host, against a broad range of pathogens. Upon the activation of ISR, plants [...] Read more.
Plant beneficial microorganisms improve the health and growth of the associated plants. Application of beneficial microbes triggers an enhanced resistance state, also termed as induced systemic resistance (ISR), in the host, against a broad range of pathogens. Upon the activation of ISR, plants employ long-distance systemic signaling to provide protection for distal tissue, inducing rapid and strong immune responses against pathogens invasions. The transmission of ISR signaling was commonly regarded to be a jasmonic acid- and ethylene-dependent, but salicylic acid-independent, transmission. However, in the last decade, the involvement of both salicylic acid and jasmonic acid/ethylene signaling pathways and the regulatory roles of small RNA in ISR has been updated. In this review, the plant early recognition, responsive reactions, and the related signaling transduction during the process of the plant–beneficial microbe interaction was discussed, with reflection on the crucial regulatory role of small RNAs in the beneficial microbe-mediated ISR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control of Plant Pathogens for a Greener Future: Induced Systemic Resistance and Epigenetics)
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