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Lignification, phenols accumulation, induction of PR proteins and antioxidant-related enzymes are key factors in the resistance of Olea europaea to Verticillium wilt of olive

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Abstract

To determine whether differences in olive susceptibility to Verticillium dahliae are accompanied by differential biochemical and physiological defense responses, we monitored the changes in fungal DNA concentration, membrane conductivity, total polyphenols, orthodihydroxyphenols, lignin and defense-related enzymes in the stems and roots of two olive cultivars differing by their susceptibility to V. dahliae. Fungal DNA was detected in the roots at 4 dai and attains a pick of 3.614 and 2.475 ng/100 ng of total DNA, respectively, in the susceptible and resistant cultivars. V. dahliae DNA in the stems was detected from 15 dai and raised slowly to attain a pick of 0.231 ng/100 ng of total DNA in the susceptible cultivar. Correlation tests between the biochemical and physiological parameters revealed that high membrane conductivity, together with early activation of peroxidase (POX) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), resulted in a reduced root rot and wilt symptoms in the resistant cultivar Sayali when compared to the susceptible cultivar Chemlali. Monitoring of chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase genes’ expression levels indicates that early and simultaneous upregulation of both genes is correlated with reduced susceptibility in the resistant cultivar Sayali. Correlation tests performed between the different studied parameters, revealed a clear association between, POX activity and lignin content (r = 0.873), polyphenols and lignin contents (r = 0.886), PPO activity and OD phenols content (0.795), chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase activities (0.878) in the resistant cultivar Sayali. By contrast, lower correlation coefficients were obtained for the susceptible cultivar Chemlali. Overall, this study provides new insights into the improvement of olive genetic resources.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part by a grant from the PESTOLIVE project in Tunisia to M.A. Triki, and Research Laboratory APREGO, and the research unit of toxicology–environmental microbiology and health to R. Gdoura.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité de Recherche Toxicologie-Microbiologie Environnementale et Santé (UR11ES70), Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Université de Sfax, BP 802, Sfax, Tunisia

    Yaakoub Gharbi, Mohamed Barkallah & Radhouane Gdoura

  2. Laboratoire d’Amélioration et Protection des Ressources Génétiques de l’Olivier, Institut de l’Olivier, Université de Sfax, BP 1087, Sfax, Tunisia

    Yaakoub Gharbi, Emna Bouazizi & Mohamed Ali Triki

  3. Laboratoire de Phytopathologie, Institut Supérieur Agronomique de Chott-Mariem, 4042, Chott-Mariem, Sousse, Tunisia

    Khaled Hibar

Authors
  1. Yaakoub Gharbi
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  2. Mohamed Barkallah
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  3. Emna Bouazizi
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  4. Khaled Hibar
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  5. Radhouane Gdoura
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  6. Mohamed Ali Triki
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Correspondence to Yaakoub Gharbi.

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Communicated by L Bavaresco.

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Gharbi, Y., Barkallah, M., Bouazizi, E. et al. Lignification, phenols accumulation, induction of PR proteins and antioxidant-related enzymes are key factors in the resistance of Olea europaea to Verticillium wilt of olive. Acta Physiol Plant 39, 43 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-016-2343-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-016-2343-z

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