Developmental regulated mechanisms affect the ability of a fungal pathogen to infect and colonize tobacco leaves

During tobacco development, a transition state from susceptibility to resistance to fungal pathogen infection is observed. Leaves acquire resistance to Phytophthora parasistica when the plant becomes committed to flowering. The ability to develop resistance does not imply pathogen-induced defence responses as for the onset of systemic acquired resistance (SAR). Throughout flowering growth, fungal establishment is restrained at two levels. The first level is the control of infection effectiveness. Using the salicylic acid non-accumulating NahG plants, we demonstrate that this control does not require salicylic acid accumulation. The intercellular fluids (IFs) from tobacco leaves committed to flowering exhibit a cytotoxic activity on fungal zoospore cells based on in vitro germination assays. Its accumulation is correlated to the control of infection effectiveness that occurs during flowering growth. The expression of this activity appears to constitute a developmental regulated mechanism that inhibits early steps of fungal pathogen installation. A second level of fungal growth control is the restriction of fungal hyphae expansion. In contrast to infection initiation, fungal hyphae spreading appears to be restricted by similar mechanisms induced during SAR as it is attested by the requirement of salicylic acid accumulation and by the correlating apoplastic accumulation of PR1 proteins. These results provide evidence for the activation of a set of at least two regulatory pathways during flowering growth. This activation leads to the induction of mechanisms which control fungal development by affecting the ability of the fungus to both infect and colonise plant tissues.