Induction of pathogen resistance and pathogenesis-related genes in tobacco by a heat-stable Trichoderma mycelial extract and plant signal messengers

Heat-stable mycelial extracts of the nonpathogenic fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum induced resistance in tobacco seedlings (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Wisconsin 38) to the pathogen Phytophthora parasitica var. nicotianae (race 0), which did not involve a hypersensitive response. Resistance could not be induced with mycelial extract prepared in the same manner from P. parasilica. The nonpathogenic mycelial extract induced expression of PR-1b and osmotin (PR-5) genes to a higher level than did mycelial extract from the pathogenic fungus. The tissue-specific pattern of PR gene induction by the nonpathogenic mycelial extract was different from that of the pathogenic mycelial extract and was consistent with the ability of the former to cause disease resistance. The expression patterns of these two PR genes and the accumulations of their encoded proteins also were affected by salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), ethylene (E) and combinations of these plant signal messengers. However, only combined SA and MeJA treatment mimicked the pattern of PR gene mRNA and protein accumulation induced by the nonpathogenic mycelial extract. E inhibitors blocked both mycelial extract-induced and SA/MeJA-induced PR gene expression, and the cis pattern of responsiveness on the osmotin promoter was the same for the mycelial extract, SA, E, or E/MeJA. Seedlings treated with P parasitica spores in the presence of SA/MeJA were protected from pathogen colonization. However; these seedlings exhibited symptoms of cell death (disease symptoms) both in the absence and presence of P parasitica spores, in contrast to seedlings treated with nonpathogenic mycelial extract, which remained healthy. These results suggest that the signal transduction pathways for elicitation of defense responses by exogenously applied heat-stable nonpathogenic mycelial extract and SA/MeJA overlap at the point of PR protein induction but are not identical.