Elucidating the effect of tomato leaf surface microstructure on Botrytis cinerea using synthetic systems

Helen Rombach; Haguy Alon; Orr H Shapiro; Yigal Elad; Maya Kleiman

doi:10.3389/fpls.2022.1023502

Elucidating the effect of tomato leaf surface microstructure on Botrytis cinerea using synthetic systems

Front Plant Sci. 2022 Oct 27:13:1023502. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1023502. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Helen Rombach^{1

2}, Haguy Alon^{2

3}, Orr H Shapiro⁴, Yigal Elad⁵, Maya Kleiman^{2

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, Humboldt University Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
² Institute of Plant Sciences, Department of Vegetables and Field Crops, Agricultural Research Organization (Volcani Center), Rishon Lezion, Israel.
³ Inter-Faculty Graduate Biotechnology Program, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
⁴ Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences, Department of Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (Volcani Center), Rishon Lezion, Israel.
⁵ Institute of Plant Protection, Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization (Volcani Center), Rishon Lezion, Israel.
⁶ Agro-Nano Technology and Advanced Materials Center, Agricultural Research Organization (Volcani Center), Rishon Lezion, Israel.

Abstract

For some pathogenic fungi, sensing surface topography is part of their infection strategy. Their directional growth and transformation to a new developmental stage is influenced by contact with topographic features, which is referred to as thigmo-response, the exact functionality of which is not fully understood. Research on thigmo-responses is often performed on biomimetically patterned surfaces (BPS). Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is especially suitable for fabrication of BPS. Here, we used synthetic BPS surfaces, mimicking tomato leaf surface, made from PDMS with the pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea to study the influence of structural features of the leaf surface on the fungus behavior. As a control, a PDMS surface without microstructure was fabricated to maintain the same chemical properties. Pre-penetration processes of B. cinerea, including the distribution of conidia on the surface, germination, and germ tube growth were observed on both leaf-patterned and flat PDMS. Microstructure affected the location of immediate attachment of conidia. Additionally, the microstructure of the plant host stimulated the development of germ tube in B. cinerea, at a higher rate than that observed on flat surface, suggesting that microstructure plays a role in fungus attachment and development.

Keywords: biomimetics; gray mold; microstructure; surface; thigmo-response; tomato.