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. 2019 Oct 23;8(11):437.
doi: 10.3390/plants8110437.

Molecular Effects of Xylella fastidiosa and Drought Combined Stress in Olive Trees

Mariarosaria De Pascali  1 , Marzia Vergine  2 , Erika Sabella  3 , Alessio Aprile  4 , Eliana Nutricati  5 , Francesca Nicolì  6 , Ilaria Buja  7 , Carmine Negro  8 , Antonio Miceli  9 , Patrizia Rampino  10 , Luigi De Bellis  11 , Andrea Luvisi  12
Affiliations
Free PMC article

Molecular Effects of Xylella fastidiosa and Drought Combined Stress in Olive Trees

Mariarosaria De Pascali et al. Plants (Basel). .
Free PMC article

Abstract

Due to global climate change, complex combinations of stresses are expected to occur, among which the interaction between pathogens and drought stress may have a significant effect on growth and yield. In this study, the Xylella fastidiosa (Xf)-resistant cultivar Leccino and the susceptible one Cellina di Nardò were subjected to (a) individual drought stress, (b) Xf infection and (c) combination of both stress conditions. Here we report the physiological response to stresses in water content in leaves and the modulation in the expression level of seven genes responsive to plant water status and pathogen infection. In Xf-resistant plants, higher expression levels are reported for genes belonging to ROS-scavenging systems and for genes involved in pathogen stress (pathogenesis-related, PR, and leucine-rich repeat genes, LRR-RLK). However, PR and LRR-RLK were not further induced by water deficit. Interestingly, the genes related to drought response (aquaporin, PIP2.1, dehydration responsive element binding, DREB, and dehydrin, DHN), which induction was higher in Cellina di Nardò compared to Leccino during drought stress, was poorly induced in Xf-susceptible plants when Xf occur. Conversely, DHN was induced by Xf presence in Leccino. These results were consistent with observations on water content. Indeed, response was similar in Leccino regardless kind of stress or combination, whereas a strong reduction was observed in Xf-susceptible plants infected by Xf or in presence of combined stresses. Thus, the reported findings indicate that resistance of Leccino to Xf could be linked to its lower resistance to water stress, probably leading to the activation of alternative defense pathways that support the plant in Xf response.

Keywords: abiotic-biotic stress; combined stress; pathogen tolerance; plant disease; water deficit.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Relative water content (RWC) determined on Cellina di Nardò and Leccino fully expanded leaves subjected to individual and combined stresses (drought and Xylella fastidiosa). Top right Two-way ANOVA results were reported. Different letters correspond to statistically different means.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Proline content (µmol g FW−1) determined on Cellina di Nardò and Leccino leaves subjected to individual and combined stresses (drought and Xylella fastidiosa). Small letter compares the mean of five repetitions (Tukey HSD post hoc test p ≤ 0.05). Top right Two-way ANOVA results were reported.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Expression analysis of stress responsive gene in leaves of Cellina di Nardò and Leccino cultivars subjected to stresses: drought, pathogen Xylella fastidiosa and combination of both, expressed as log2 fold change (log2FC). A. genes related to oxidative stress: superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD and MnSOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), B. genes related to pathogen stress: leucine rich repeats- receptor like kinase (LRR-RLK) and pathogenesis-related protein 1-like (PR). C. genes related to drought responses: aquaporin (PIP2.1), dehydration responsive element binding (DREB) and dehydrin (DHN). Statistical analysis was carried out through one-way ANOVA with Tukey-HSD post hoc test. Different letters correspond to statistically different means.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Expression analysis of stress responsive gene in leaves of Cellina di Nardò and Leccino cultivars subjected to stresses: drought, pathogen Xylella fastidiosa and combination of both, expressed as log2 fold change (log2FC). A. genes related to oxidative stress: superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD and MnSOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), B. genes related to pathogen stress: leucine rich repeats- receptor like kinase (LRR-RLK) and pathogenesis-related protein 1-like (PR). C. genes related to drought responses: aquaporin (PIP2.1), dehydration responsive element binding (DREB) and dehydrin (DHN). Statistical analysis was carried out through one-way ANOVA with Tukey-HSD post hoc test. Different letters correspond to statistically different means.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Comparison of Cellina di Nardò and Leccino cultivars in gene expression level subjected to drought, pathogen Xylella fastidiosa and combination of both stresses expressed as log2 fold change (log2FC). The genes related to oxidative stress are: Superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD and MnSOD), Catalase (CAT), Ascorbate Peroxidase (APX), the genes related to pathogen stress are: Leucine Rich Repeats (LRR-RLK) and Pathogenesis-Related (PR) and the gene related to drought responses are: Dehydrin (DHN). The statistical analysis was carried out using multiple t-tests (FDR = 5%).
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