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Trichoderma and the Plant Heritable Priming Responses
María E Morán-Diez1, Ángel Emilio Martínez de Alba1, M Belén Rubio1
1Department of Microbiology and Genetics, Spanish-Portuguese Institute for Agricultural Research (CIALE), University of Salamanca, Villamayor, 37185 Salamanca, Spain.
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 30, 2021
Summary
Trichoderma enhances plant immunity through priming, a process involving specific proteins and transcription factors. This beneficial fungus may also influence plant epigenetics for lasting stress resistance and growth promotion.
Area of Science:
- Plant-microbe interactions
- Plant immunity and defense mechanisms
- Epigenetics in plant biology
Background:
- Trichoderma resides in the plant rhizosphere, influencing plant-environment interactions.
- Trichoderma spp. protect plants by inducing immune responses, a mechanism known as priming.
- Priming involves enhanced accumulation of cellular proteins for intracellular signal amplification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of Trichoderma in plant immune priming.
- To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying Trichoderma-induced plant defense.
- To examine the potential of Trichoderma in epigenetic regulation for enhanced plant resistance and growth.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathways.
- Identification of transcription factors (WRKYs, MYBs, MYCs) involved in plant defense.
- Investigation of epigenetic modifications such as histone modifications, DNA methylation, and RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM).
Main Results:
- Trichoderma priming involves MAPK activation triggered by calcium and redox changes.
- Transcription factors like WRKYs, MYBs, and MYCs act as regulatory nodes in plant defense.
- Trichoderma may induce epigenetic changes (histone modification, DNA methylation) for long-lasting effects.
Conclusions:
- Trichoderma effectively primes plant immune responses through molecular and potentially epigenetic mechanisms.
- Epigenetic regulation by Trichoderma offers a promising avenue for developing plants with enhanced, heritable resistance and improved growth.
- Further research into the inheritance of epigenetic marks induced by Trichoderma is warranted.
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