Cell death in wheat roots induced by the powdery mildew fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 328; no. 1-2; pp. 45 - 55
• Main Authors: Deng, Xiang-Yi, Li, Ji-Wei, Zhou, Zhu-Qing, Fan, Hai-Yan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.03.2010; Springer; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Airborne microorganisms; Analysis; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cell death; Cell nucleus; Cells; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Ecology; Fluorescence; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal plant pathogens; Fungi; General agronomy. Plant production; Germination; Health aspects; Infection; Leaves; Life Sciences; Mildews; Mortality; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Plant Physiology; Plant roots; Plant Sciences; Plants; Regular Article; Roots; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Wheat; Wheat powdery mildew; Root; Systemic programmed cell death (systemic PCD); Root cortical cell death (RCD); Ascomycota; Monocotyledones; Vegetals; Plant pathogen; Mycosis; Erysiphe graminis; Systemic; Fungi; Infection; Fungus; Triticum; Gramineae; Cell death; Angiospermae; Vegetative apparatus; Spermatophyta; Soil plant relation; C3-Type; Apoptosis
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-009-0080-4

Inoculation of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Huamai 8) leaves with wheat powderly mildew fungus (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici) induced cell death in wheat adventitious roots, where no fungal structures were observed. The cytological and molecular characterization of this cell death was shown as following: cell nuclei were TUNEL positive labeled; genomic DNA was fragmented and showed DNA laddering; chromatin condensed and formed peripheral conglomeration in nuclei; and perinuclear spaces partly dilated. These results suggested that, without pathogen spread, the infection could induce systemic PCD in adventitious roots. Comparison with a leaf-cutting experiment (LC)enabled us to speculate that lack of assimilates was not the only reason for the systemic PCD in wheat roots in powdery mildew experiment and that such systemic PCD might be mediated by long-distance signals. In addition, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Ca²⁺ were related to the systemic PCD.