Lactucin Synthase Inactivation Boosts the Accumulation of Anti-inflammatory 8-Deoxylactucin and Its Derivatives in Chicory ( L.).

For several sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) found in Asteraceae plants, very interesting biomedical activities have been demonstrated. Chicory roots accumulate the guaianolide STLs 8-deoxylactucin, lactucin, and lactucopicrin predominantly in oxalated forms in the latex. In this work, a supercritical fluid extract fraction of chicory STLs containing 8-deoxylactucin and 11β,13-dihydro-8-deoxylactucin was shown to have anti-inflammatory activity in an inflamed intestinal mucosa model.

CRISPR/Cas9 targeted inactivation of the kauniolide synthase in chicory results in accumulation of costunolide and its conjugates in taproots.

Chicory taproots accumulate sesquiterpene lactones lactucin, lactucopicrin, and 8-deoxylactucin, predominantly in their oxalated forms. The biosynthetic pathway for chicory sesquiterpene lactones has only partly been elucidated; the enzymes that convert farnesyl pyrophosphate to costunolide have been described. The next biosynthetic step of the conversion of costunolide to the tricyclic structure, guaianolide kauniolide, has so far not been elucidated in chicory.

Identification of a defense response gene involved in signaling pathways against PVA and PVY in potato.

Potato is the most important non-grain food crop in the world. Viruses, particularly potato virus Y (PVY) and potato virus A (PVA), are among the major agricultural pathogens causing severe reduction in potato yield and quality worldwide. Virus infection induces host factors to interfere with its infection cycle.

Induces Systemic Jasmonate Responses in Arabidopsis Which Travel to Neighboring Plants via a Hyphal Network and Activate Abscisic Acid Responses.

Stress information received by a particular local plant tissue is transferred to other tissues and neighboring plants, but how the information travels is not well understood. Application of spores to Arabidopsis leaves or roots stimulates local accumulation of jasmonic acid (JA), the expression of JA-responsive genes, as well as of () and (). Infection information is systemically spread over the entire seedling and propagates radially from infected to non-infected leaves, axially from leaves to roots, and .

Bactericidal, quorum quenching and anti-biofilm nanofactories: a new niche for nanotechnologists.

Despite several conventional potent antibacterial therapies, bacterial infections pose a significant threat to human health because they are emerging as the leading cause of death worldwide. Due to the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, there is a pressing demand to discover novel approaches for developing more effective therapies to treat multidrug-resistant bacterial strains and biofilm-associated infections. Therefore, attention has been especially devoted to a new and emerging branch of science "nanotechnology" to design non-conventional antimicrobial chemotherapies.

Stress promotes Arabidopsis - Piriformospora indica interaction.

The endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica colonizes Arabidopsis thaliana roots and promotes plant performance, growth and resistance/tolerance against abiotic and biotic stress. Here we demonstrate that the benefits for the plant increase when the two partners are co-cultivated under stress (limited access to nutrient, exposure to heavy metals and salt, light and osmotic stress, pathogen infection). Moreover, physical contact between P.

WRKY6 restricts Piriformospora indica-stimulated and phosphate-induced root development in Arabidopsis.

Background: Arabidopsis root growth is stimulated by Piriformospora indica, phosphate limitation and inactivation of the WRKY6 transcription factor. Combinations of these factors induce unexpected alterations in root and shoot growth, root architecture and root gene expression profiles.

Results: The results demonstrate that P.

Microarray analyses during early and later stages of the Arabidopsis/Piriformospora indica interaction.

Colonization of the roots of different plant species by Piriformospora indica results in better plant performance and biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. An increase of the biomass and seed yield is other beneficial effect of P. indica for the host plants.

The interaction of Arabidopsis with Piriformospora indica shifts from initial transient stress induced by fungus-released chemical mediators to a mutualistic interaction after physical contact of the two symbionts.

Background: Piriformospora indica, an endophytic fungus of Sebacinales, colonizes the roots of many plant species including Arabidopsis thaliana. The symbiotic interaction promotes plant performance, growth and resistance/tolerance against abiotic and biotic stress.

Results: We demonstrate that exudated compounds from the fungus activate stress and defense responses in the Arabidopsis roots and shoots before the two partners are in physical contact.

The beneficial fungus Piriformospora indica protects Arabidopsis from Verticillium dahliae infection by downregulation plant defense responses.

Background: Verticillium dahliae (Vd) is a soil-borne vascular pathogen which causes severe wilt symptoms in a wide range of plants. The microsclerotia produced by the pathogen survive in soil for more than 15 years.

Results: Here we demonstrate that an exudate preparation induces cytoplasmic calcium elevation in Arabidopsis roots, and the disease development requires the ethylene-activated transcription factor EIN3.

Growth of Arabidopsis seedlings on high fungal doses of Piriformospora indica has little effect on plant performance, stress, and defense gene expression in spite of elevated jasmonic acid and jasmonic acid-isoleucine levels in the roots.

The endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica colonizes the roots of many plant species including Arabidopsis and promotes their performance, biomass, and seed production as well as resistance against biotic and abiotic stress. Imbalances in the symbiotic interaction such as uncontrolled fungal growth result in the loss of benefits for the plants and activation of defense responses against the microbe. We exposed Arabidopsis seedlings to a dense hyphal lawn of P.