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Project No: 207350
Project Acronym: PROTECT CROP
Project Full Name: Cell wall-plasmalemma-cytoskeleton as a sensor in cold-induced plant
resistance to fungal infection
Project coordinator name: Prof. Maria Wędzony, [email protected]
Project scientific researcher name: Dr Magdalena Szechynska-Hebda, [email protected]
Project coordinator organisation name:
Polish Academy of Sciences
the Franciszek Gorski Institute of Plant Physiology
Niezapominajek 21, 30-239 Kraków, Poland
Microdochium nivale (Fr.) Samuels & Hallett, is the most widespread snow mould fungus
caused loses reaching over 50-90% of autumn sawn cereals and grasses. The PROTECTCROP project focused on the mechanisms of cold-induced plant resistance against M. nivale
fungal pathogen followed by their practical application in healthy and environmentally
friendly methods of plant protection. The mechanisms of cold induced plant resistance to M.
nivale were partly dissected during our work: (1) Prolonged (0 - 98 days) cold hardening
linearly triticale resistance to infection with M. nivale, however threshold stress-levels should
be accomplish to effective plant survival after infection. The level of achieved of coldinduced resistance is strongly dependent on plant genotype and virulence of M. nivale
pathotypes; (2) Cold episodes are physiologically "memorized" in plants and cold-induced
resistance is kept at least during 3-4 weeks of dehardening weather. Plants during dehardening
develop passive defense e.g. build more compact cell wall; (3) Two types of plant resistance
are suggested: resistance to the establishment of the initial infection and resistance to hyphal
invasion through the plant tissue. The cell wall physical-chemical state (structure,
composition, stability) and physiological state (e.g. generation of reactive oxygen species by
cell wall enzymes) brought by exposure to cold determined the resistance of both types; (4)
Plasmalemma is the sensor in cold induced resistance. Its dynamic and composition changed
with the cold treatment, and specific membrane proteins are important to absorbtion of
fungal-originated substances; (5) Effective photosynthesis is the key regulator of the switch
between two signaling processes: acclimation to cold and acquired resistance to pathogens.
Results showed, that photosynthesis under non-optimal conditions (low temperature and
suboptimal light conditions) caused excess excitation energy followed by reactive oxygen
species accumulation. They restrict development of pathogens, however simultaneously,
reactive species oxidize the plant membrane components and are origin of fotoinhibiton.
Therefore, we confirmed, that survival of triticale resistant varieties under cold and infection
results mainly from balanced photosynthesis.
Our results are interesting not only for biologists, but also for industrial partners involved in
plant breeding, evaluation of crop and seed quality, food quality and environment protection.
Cold-induced resistance to M. nivale supported by the mechanism partly recognized during
our work can be effectively transferred to new lines obtained from the crossing of the
susceptible and the resistant varieties: 3,2% of doubled haploid lines from such cross had
lower survival capability to susceptible variety, 63,2% lines did not differ from the resistant
variety and 33,6% lines outcrossed the better parent and fully regenerated after infection.