Drought stress leads to systemic induced susceptibility to a nectrotrophic fungus associated with mountain pine beetle in Pinus banksiana seedlings.

Conifers have complex defense responses to initial attacks by insects and pathogens that can have cascading effects on success of subsequent colonizers. However, drought can affect a plant's ability to respond to biotic agents by potentially altering the resources needed for the energetically c...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jennifer G Klutsch, Simon Francis Shamoun, Nadir Erbilgin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2017-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5720781?pdf=render
_version_ 1818176838753583104
author Jennifer G Klutsch
Simon Francis Shamoun
Nadir Erbilgin
author_facet Jennifer G Klutsch
Simon Francis Shamoun
Nadir Erbilgin
author_sort Jennifer G Klutsch
collection DOAJ
description Conifers have complex defense responses to initial attacks by insects and pathogens that can have cascading effects on success of subsequent colonizers. However, drought can affect a plant's ability to respond to biotic agents by potentially altering the resources needed for the energetically costly production of induced defense chemicals. We investigated the impact of reduced water on induced chemical defenses of jack pine (Pinus banksiana) seedlings from initial attack by biotic agents and resistance to subsequent challenge inoculation with a pathogenic fungal associate of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), Grosmannia clavigera. Applications of phytohormones (methyl salicylate and methyl jasmonate) and G. clavigera were used for initial induction of defenses. Monoterpene concentrations varied with initial induction from fungal and phytohormone application while watering treatment had no effect. Seedlings treated with G. clavigera and methyl jasmonate had the greatest monoterpene concentrations compared to the control and methyl salicylate-treated seedlings. However, the monoterpene response to the challenge inoculation varied with watering treatments, not with prior induction treatments, with lower monoterpene concentrations in fungal lesions on seedlings in the low to moderate watering treatments compared to normal watering treatment. Furthermore, prior induction from phytohormones resulted in systemic cross-induction of resistance to G. clavigera under normal watering treatment but susceptibility under low watering treatment. Seedlings stressed by low water conditions, which also had lower stomatal conductance than seedlings in the normal watering treatment, likely allocated resources to initial defense response but were left unable to acquire further resources for subsequent responses. Our results demonstrate that drought can affect interactions among tree-infesting organisms through systemic cross-induction of susceptibility.
first_indexed 2024-12-11T20:22:33Z
format Article
id doaj.art-fa06b427c22c43bfa7a396ea0e899b33
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1932-6203
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-11T20:22:33Z
publishDate 2017-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj.art-fa06b427c22c43bfa7a396ea0e899b332022-12-22T00:52:02ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032017-01-011212e018920310.1371/journal.pone.0189203Drought stress leads to systemic induced susceptibility to a nectrotrophic fungus associated with mountain pine beetle in Pinus banksiana seedlings.Jennifer G KlutschSimon Francis ShamounNadir ErbilginConifers have complex defense responses to initial attacks by insects and pathogens that can have cascading effects on success of subsequent colonizers. However, drought can affect a plant's ability to respond to biotic agents by potentially altering the resources needed for the energetically costly production of induced defense chemicals. We investigated the impact of reduced water on induced chemical defenses of jack pine (Pinus banksiana) seedlings from initial attack by biotic agents and resistance to subsequent challenge inoculation with a pathogenic fungal associate of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), Grosmannia clavigera. Applications of phytohormones (methyl salicylate and methyl jasmonate) and G. clavigera were used for initial induction of defenses. Monoterpene concentrations varied with initial induction from fungal and phytohormone application while watering treatment had no effect. Seedlings treated with G. clavigera and methyl jasmonate had the greatest monoterpene concentrations compared to the control and methyl salicylate-treated seedlings. However, the monoterpene response to the challenge inoculation varied with watering treatments, not with prior induction treatments, with lower monoterpene concentrations in fungal lesions on seedlings in the low to moderate watering treatments compared to normal watering treatment. Furthermore, prior induction from phytohormones resulted in systemic cross-induction of resistance to G. clavigera under normal watering treatment but susceptibility under low watering treatment. Seedlings stressed by low water conditions, which also had lower stomatal conductance than seedlings in the normal watering treatment, likely allocated resources to initial defense response but were left unable to acquire further resources for subsequent responses. Our results demonstrate that drought can affect interactions among tree-infesting organisms through systemic cross-induction of susceptibility.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5720781?pdf=render
spellingShingle Jennifer G Klutsch
Simon Francis Shamoun
Nadir Erbilgin
Drought stress leads to systemic induced susceptibility to a nectrotrophic fungus associated with mountain pine beetle in Pinus banksiana seedlings.
PLoS ONE
title Drought stress leads to systemic induced susceptibility to a nectrotrophic fungus associated with mountain pine beetle in Pinus banksiana seedlings.
title_full Drought stress leads to systemic induced susceptibility to a nectrotrophic fungus associated with mountain pine beetle in Pinus banksiana seedlings.
title_fullStr Drought stress leads to systemic induced susceptibility to a nectrotrophic fungus associated with mountain pine beetle in Pinus banksiana seedlings.
title_full_unstemmed Drought stress leads to systemic induced susceptibility to a nectrotrophic fungus associated with mountain pine beetle in Pinus banksiana seedlings.
title_short Drought stress leads to systemic induced susceptibility to a nectrotrophic fungus associated with mountain pine beetle in Pinus banksiana seedlings.
title_sort drought stress leads to systemic induced susceptibility to a nectrotrophic fungus associated with mountain pine beetle in pinus banksiana seedlings
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5720781?pdf=render
work_keys_str_mv AT jennifergklutsch droughtstressleadstosystemicinducedsusceptibilitytoanectrotrophicfungusassociatedwithmountainpinebeetleinpinusbanksianaseedlings
AT simonfrancisshamoun droughtstressleadstosystemicinducedsusceptibilitytoanectrotrophicfungusassociatedwithmountainpinebeetleinpinusbanksianaseedlings
AT nadirerbilgin droughtstressleadstosystemicinducedsusceptibilitytoanectrotrophicfungusassociatedwithmountainpinebeetleinpinusbanksianaseedlings