Plant immunity in natural populations and agricultural fields: Low presence of pathogenesis-related proteins in Solanum leaves

PLoS One. 2018 Nov 9;13(11):e0207253. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207253. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Plant immunity has mainly been studied under controlled conditions, limiting our knowledge regarding the regulation of immunity under natural conditions where plants grow in association with multiple microorganisms. Plant pathology theory, based on laboratory data, predicts complex biochemical plant-pathogen interactions leading to coevolution of pathogen infectivity vs. plant recognition of microbes in multiple layers over time. However, plant immunity is currently not evaluated in relation to ecological time-scales and field conditions. Here we report status of immunity in plants without visible disease symptoms in wild populations of nightshades, Solanum dulcamara and Solanum nigrum, and in agricultural fields of potato, Solanum tuberosum. We analysed presence of pathogenesis-related proteins in over 500 asymptomatic leaf samples collected in the field in June, July and August over three years. Pathogenesis-related proteins were present in only one-third of the collected samples, suggesting low activity of the immune system. We could also detect an increase in pathogenesis-related proteins later in the growing season, particularly in S. tuberosum. Our findings, based on pathogenesis-related protein markers, indicate major gaps in our knowledge regarding the status and regulation of plant immunity under field conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Crops, Agricultural / genetics
  • Crops, Agricultural / immunology
  • Crops, Agricultural / metabolism
  • Plant Immunity* / genetics
  • Plant Leaves / immunology
  • Plant Leaves / metabolism
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / immunology*
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism*
  • RNA, Plant / genetics
  • RNA, Plant / metabolism
  • Sequence Analysis, RNA
  • Solanum / genetics
  • Solanum / immunology*
  • Solanum / metabolism*
  • Solanum nigrum / genetics
  • Solanum nigrum / immunology
  • Solanum nigrum / metabolism
  • Solanum tuberosum / genetics
  • Solanum tuberosum / immunology
  • Solanum tuberosum / metabolism
  • Sweden

Substances

  • Plant Proteins
  • RNA, Plant
  • pathogenesis-related proteins, plant

Grants and funding

This work was funded by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, Swedish Foundation for Environmental Strategic Research and the Swedish Research Council Formas (to E.A.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.