Botrytis cinerea induces local hypoxia in Arabidopsis leaves

Maria Cristina Valeri, Giacomo Novi, Daan A. Weits, Anna Mensuali, Pierdomenico Perata*, Elena Loreti*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Low oxygen availability often is associated with soil waterlogging or submergence, but may occur also as hypoxic niches in otherwise aerobic tissues. Experimental evidence assigns a role in Botrytis cinerea resistance to a group of oxygen-unstable Ethylene Response Factors (ERF-VII). Given that infection by B. cinerea often occurs in aerobic organs such as leaves, where ERF-VII stability should be compromised, we explored the possibility of local leaf hypoxia at the site of infection. We analyzed the expression of hypoxia-responsive genes in infected leaves. Confocal microscopy was utilized to verify the localization of the ERF-VII protein RAP2.12. Oxygen concentration was measured to evaluate the availability of oxygen (O2). We discovered that infection by B. cinerea induces increased respiration, leading to a drastic drop in the O2 concentration in an otherwise fully aerobic leaf. The establishment of a local hypoxic area results in stabilization and nuclear relocalization of RAP2.12. The possible roles of defence elicitors, ABA and ethylene were evaluated. Local hypoxia at the site of B. cinerea infection allows the stabilization of ERF-VII proteins. Hypoxia at the site of pathogen infection generates a nearly O2-free environment that may affect the stability of other N-degron-regulated proteins as well as the metabolism of elicitors.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)173-185
Number of pages13
JournalNew Phytologist
Volume229
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2021
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors New Phytologist © 2020 New Phytologist Foundation

Funding

The B. cinerea strain was kindly provided by Simone Ferrari (La Sapienza, University of Rome). We thank Benedetta Mattei (L’Aquila University) for useful discussion and Sabrina Sarrocco (University of Pisa) for advice on B. cinerea cultures management and for providing us with the Alternaria brassicicola strain.

FundersFunder number
Università di Pisa

    Keywords

    • Arabidopsis thaliana
    • Botrytis cinerea
    • Ethylene Response Factors
    • hypoxia
    • N-degron pathway

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