Eucalyptus grandis is a globally important tree crop. Greenhouse-grown tree seedlings often face water deficit after outplanting to the field, which can affect their survival and establishment severely. This can be alleviated by the application of superabsorbent hydrophilic polymers (SAPs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolyamines (PAs) are small aliphatic amines with important regulatory activities in plants. Biotic stress results in changes in PA levels due to de novo synthesis and PA oxidation. In Arabidopsis thaliana five FAD-dependent polyamine oxidase enzymes (AtPAO1-5) participate in PA back-conversion and degradation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine participate in a variety of cellular processes in all organisms. Many studies have shown that these polycations are important for plant immunity, as well as for the virulence of diverse fungal phytopathogens. However, the polyamines' roles in the pathogenesis of phytopathogenic bacteria have not been thoroughly elucidated to date.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUstilago maydis is a biotrophic plant pathogenic fungus that leads to tumor development in the aerial tissues of its host, Zea mays. These tumors are the result of cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia, and are accompanied by the reprograming of primary and secondary metabolism of infected plants. Up to now, little is known regarding key plant actors and their role in tumor development during the interaction with U.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Plant Microbe Interact
August 2011
Botrytis cinerea, as a necrotrophic fungus, kills host tissues and feeds on the remains. This fungus is able to induce the hypersensitive response (HR) on its hosts, thus taking advantage on the host's defense machinery for generating necrotic tissues. However, the identity of HR effectors produced by B.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant Physiol
August 2011
The role of the tetraamine spermine in plant defense against pathogens was investigated by using the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana)-Pseudomonas viridiflava pathosystem. The effects of perturbations of plant spermine levels on susceptibility to bacterial infection were evaluated in transgenic plants (35S::spermine synthase [SPMS]) that overexpressed the SPMS gene and accumulated spermine, as well as in spms mutants with low spermine levels. The former exhibited higher resistance to P.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntonie Van Leeuwenhoek
February 2011
Plant Physiol
August 2008
The role of polyamine (PA) metabolism in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) defense against pathogens with contrasting pathogenic strategies was evaluated. Infection by the necrotrophic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum resulted in increased arginine decarboxylase expression and activity in host tissues, as well as putrescine and spermine accumulation in leaf apoplast. Enhancement of leaf PA levels, either by using transgenic plants or infiltration with exogenous PAs, led to increased necrosis due to infection by S.
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