Folic acid induces salicylic acid‐dependent immunity in Arabidopsis and enhances susceptibility to Alternaria brassicicola. (15th December 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wittek, Finni; Kanawati, Basem; Wenig, Marion; Hoffmann, Thomas; Franz‐Oberdorf, Katrin; Schwab, Wilfried; Schmitt‐Kopplin, Philippe; Vlot, A. Corina
• Is Part Of: Molecular plant pathology. Volume 16:Number 6(2015:Aug.)
• Page Start: 616
• Page End: 622
• Publication Date: 2014-12-15
• Subjects: Plant diseases -- Molecular aspects -- Periodicals; Plant-pathogen relationships -- Molecular aspects -- Periodicals; 571.936
• DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12216
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1464-6722

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Summary</title> <p>Folates are essential for one‐carbon transfer reactions in all organisms and contribute, for example, to <italic>de novo</italic> DNA synthesis. Here, we detected the folate precursors 7, 8‐dihydropteroate (DHP) and 4‐amino‐4‐deoxychorismate (ADC) in extracts from <italic>Arabidopsis thaliana</italic> plants by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance‐mass spectrometry. The accumulation of DHP, but not ADC, was induced after infection of plants with <italic>Pseudomonas syringae</italic> delivering the effector protein AvrRpm1. Application of folic acid or the DHP precursor 7, 8‐dihydroneopterin (DHN) enhanced resistance in Arabidopsis to <italic>P. syringae</italic> and elevated the transcript accumulation of the salicylic acid (SA) marker gene <italic>PATHOGENESIS‐RELATED1</italic> in both the treated and systemic untreated leaves. DHN‐ and folic acid‐induced systemic resistance was dependent on SA biosynthesis and signalling. Similar to SA, folic acid application locally enhanced Arabidopsis susceptibility to the necrotrophic fungus <italic>Alternaria brassicicola</italic>. Together, the data associate the folic acid pathway with innate immunity in Arabidopsis, simultaneously activating local and systemic SA‐dependent resistance to <italic>P. syringae</italic> and suppressing local resistance to <italic>A. brassicicola</italic>.</p> </abstract>