Biology subjects

Schuurink, R.

Publications and source records attributed to Schuurink, R..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Whitefly effector G4 interacts with tomato proteins of which MIPDB141 affects whitefly performance

The phloem-feeding insect Bemisia tabaci is an important pest, responsible for the transmission of several crop-threatening virus species. While feeding, the insect secretes a cocktail of effectors to modulate defense responses. Here, we present a set of proteins that was identified in artificial diet on which B. tabaci was salivating. We studied whether these candidate effectors can play a role in plant immune suppression. Effector G4 was the most robust suppressor of the flg22-induced ROS response when transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. In addition, G4 was able to supress ROS in Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) and Capsicum annuum (pepper). Fused to a fluorescence tag, G4 localized in the cytoplasm in N. benthamiana. A yeast two-hybrid screen combined with a luciferase bimolecular complementation and co-localization assays resulted in the identification of two target proteins in tomato: REF-like stress related protein 1 (RSP1) and meloidogyne-induced giant cell protein DB141 (MIPDB141). Silencing of MIPDB141 in tomato, using virus-induced gene silencing, reduced whitefly fecundity up to 40% demonstrating that the protein is involved in susceptibility to B. tabaci. Together our data demonstrate that effector G4 impairs tomato immunity to whiteflies by interfering with the ROS production and via a direct interaction with tomato susceptibility protein MIPDB141.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Genetic factors outside the metabolic cluster for plastid-derived sesquiterpenes are required to pursuit arthropod-resistant tomatoes

To deal with arthropod pests the tomato wild relatives produce a variety of defense compounds in their glandular trichomes. In Solanum habrochaites LA1777, a functional cluster of genes on chromosome 8 controls plastid-derived sesquiterpene synthesis not found in cultivated tomatoes. The main genes at the cluster are Z-prenyltransferase (zFPS) that produces Z-Z-farnesyl diphosphate (Z,Z-FPP), and Santalene and Bergamotene Synthase (SBS) that uses Z,Z-FPP to produce -santalene, {beta}-bergamotene, and -bergamotene in type-VI glandular trichomes. Both LA1777 and cultivated tomatoes have type-VI trichomes, but the gland in cultivated tomato is much smaller containing low levels of monoterpenes and cytosolic-derived sesquiterpenes, which do not provide tomato with the same pest resistance as in LA1777. We successfully transferred the plastid-derived sesquiterpene pathway from LA1777 to type-VI trichomes of a cultivated tomato (cv. Micro-Tom, MT) by a back-crossing approach. The trichomes of the introgressed line named MT-Sesquiterpene synthase 2 (MT-Sst2) produced even higher levels of -santalene, {beta}-bergamotene, and -bergamotene than the type-VI glandular trichomes of LA1777. We also noticed that the type-VI trichome internal storage-cavity size increases in MT-Sst2, probably as an "inflated balloon" effect of the increased amount of sesquiterpenes. Surprisingly, the presence of high amounts of plastid-derived sesquiterpenes was not sufficient to confer resistance to various tomato pests in MT-Sst2. Since MT-Sst2 made the same sesquiterpenes as LA1777, this points to additional factors, outside the genomic region thought to be the metabolic cluster, necessary to obtain arthropod-resistant tomatoes. Our results also provide a better understanding of the morphology of S. habrochaites type-VI trichomes. One-sentence summaryCultivated tomatoes harboring the plastid-derived sesquiterpenes from S. habrochaites need additional genetic components necessary to convert them into effective insecticides.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Soil salinity inhibits plant shade avoidance

Global food production is set to keep increasing despite a predicted decrease in total arable land [1]. To achieve higher production, denser planting will be required on increasingly degraded soils. When grown in dense stands, crops elongate and raise their leaves in an effort to reach sunlight, a process termed shade-avoidance [2]. Shade is perceived by a reduction in the ratio of red (R) to (FR) light and results in the stabilisation of a class of transcription factors known as PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTORs (PIFs) [3,4]. PIFs activate the expression of auxin biosynthesis genes [4,5] and enhance auxin sensitivity [6], which promotes cell wall loosening and drives elongation growth. Despite our molecular understanding of shade-induced growth, little is known about how this developmental programme is integrated with other environmental factors.\n\nHere we demonstrate that low levels of NaCl in soil strongly impair the ability of plants to respond to shade. This block is dependent upon abscisic acid (ABA) signalling and the canonical ABA signalling pathway. Low R:FR light enhances the expression of a positive regulator of the brassinosteroid (BR) signalling pathway, BRASSINOSTEROID SIGNALLING KINASE 5 (BSK5). We found that ABA inhibits BSK5 up-regulation and interferes with GSK3-like kinase inactivation by the BR pathway, thus leading to a suppression of PIF function. By demonstrating a link between the ABA and BR-signalling pathways this study provides an important step forward in our understanding of how environmental cues are integrated into plant development.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2018

A stress recovery signaling network for enhanced flooding tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

Abiotic stresses in plants are often transient and the recovery phase following stress removal is critical. Flooding, a major abiotic stress that negatively impacts plant biodiversity and agriculture, is a sequential stress where tolerance is strongly dependent on viability underwater and during the postflooding period. Here we show that in Arabidopsis thaliana accessions (Bay-0 and Lp2-6), different rates of submergence recovery correlate with submergence tolerance and fecundity. A genome-wide assessment of ribosome-associated transcripts in Bay-0 and Lp2-6 revealed a signaling network regulating recovery processes. Differential recovery between the accessions was related to the activity of three genes: RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOG (RBOHD), SENESCENCE-ASSOCIATED GENE113 (SAG113) and ORESARA1 (ORE1/NAC6) which function in a regulatory network involving a reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst upon de-submergence and the hormones abscisic acid and ethylene. This regulatory module controls ROS homeostasis, stomatal aperture and chlorophyll degradation during submergence recovery. This work uncovers a signaling network that regulates recovery processes following flooding to hasten the return to pre-stress homeostasis.\n\nSignificance statementFlooding due to extreme weather events can be highly detrimental to plant development and yield. Speedy recovery following stress removal is an important determinant of tolerance, yet mechanisms regulating this remain largely uncharacterized. We identified a regulatory network in Arabidopsis thaliana that controls water loss and senescence to influence recovery from prolonged submergence. Targeted control of the molecular mechanisms facilitating stress recovery identified here can potentially improve performance of crops in flood-prone areas.

plant biology↗