Elicitation with Bacillus QV15 reveals a pivotal role of F3H on flavonoid metabolism improving adaptation to biotic stress in blackberry

PLoS One. 2020 May 6;15(5):e0232626. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232626. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the involvement of the flavonol-anthocyanin pathway on plant adaptation to biotic stress using the B.amyloliquefaciens QV15 to trigger blackberry metabolism and identify target genes to improve plant fitness and fruit quality. To achieve this goal, field-grown blackberries were root-inoculated with QV15 along its growth cycle. At fruiting, a transcriptomic analysis by RNA-Seq was performed on leaves and fruits of treated and non-treated field-grown blackberries after a sustained mildew outbreak; expression of the regulating and core genes of the Flavonol-Anthocyanin pathway were analysed by qPCR and metabolomic profiles by UHPLC/ESI-qTOF-MS; plant protection was found to be up to 88%. Overexpression of step-controlling genes in leaves and fruits, associated to lower concentration of flavonols and anthocyanins in QV15-treated plants, together with a higher protection suggest a phytoanticipin role for flavonols in blackberry; kempferol-3-O-rutinoside concentration was strikingly high. Overexpression of RuF3H (Flavonol-3-hidroxylase) suggests a pivotal role in the coordination of committing steps in this pathway, controlling carbon flux towards the different sinks. Furthermore, this C demand is supported by an activation of the photosynthetic machinery, and boosted by a coordinated control of ROS into a sub-lethal range, and associated to enhanced protection to biotic stress.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological*
  • Anthocyanins / metabolism*
  • Bacillus amyloliquefaciens / physiology*
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / genetics
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / physiology*
  • Fruit / enzymology
  • Fruit / genetics
  • Fruit / microbiology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Genes, Plant / genetics
  • Plant Leaves / enzymology
  • Plant Leaves / microbiology
  • Rubus / enzymology*
  • Rubus / genetics
  • Rubus / microbiology*
  • Stress, Physiological*

Substances

  • Anthocyanins
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System
  • flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad for projects AGL2013-45189 (BRS, JGM), CTQ2014-55279-R (AG) and grant reference BES-2014-0769990 to EGA. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.