SlERF2 Is Associated with Methyl Jasmonate-Mediated Defense Response against Botrytis cinerea in Tomato Fruit

J Agric Food Chem. 2018 Sep 26;66(38):9923-9932. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b03971. Epub 2018 Sep 18.

Abstract

Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and ethylene play important roles in mediating defense responses against Botrytis cinerea. Ethylene response factors (ERFs) are the final components of ethylene signal transduction; whether SlERF2 participates in disease resistance against Botrytis cinerea is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of SlERF2 in MeJA-mediated defense response by using both sense and antisense SlERF2 tomato fruit. Our results showed that both MeJA treatment and pathogen infection upregulated SlERF2 expression level. Overexpression of SlERF2 enhanced tomato fruit resistance against Botrytis cinerea. MeJA treatment increased ethylene production, promoted the activities of chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, and peroxidase, and elevated pathogenesis-related protein content and total phenolic content. Moreover, the effects of MeJA on disease response were reinforced in sense SlERF2 tomato fruit, while they were weakened in antisense SlERF2 tomato fruit. These results indicated that SlERF2 was involved in MeJA-mediated disease resistance against Botrytis cinerea in tomato fruit.

Keywords: Botrytis cinerea; SlERF2; defense response; methyl jasmonate; tomato fruit.

MeSH terms

  • Acetates / pharmacology*
  • Botrytis / physiology*
  • Cyclopentanes / pharmacology*
  • Disease Resistance
  • Fruit / drug effects
  • Fruit / immunology
  • Fruit / microbiology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Oxylipins / pharmacology*
  • Plant Diseases / immunology
  • Plant Diseases / microbiology*
  • Plant Growth Regulators / pharmacology*
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / immunology*
  • Solanum lycopersicum / drug effects
  • Solanum lycopersicum / immunology*
  • Solanum lycopersicum / microbiology
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / immunology*

Substances

  • Acetates
  • Cyclopentanes
  • Oxylipins
  • Plant Growth Regulators
  • Plant Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • methyl jasmonate