N-3-Oxo-Octanoyl Homoserine Lactone Primes Plant Resistance Against Necrotrophic Pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum by Coordinating Jasmonic Acid and Auxin-Signaling Pathways

Many Gram-negative bacteria use small signal molecules, such as N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), to communicate with each other and coordinate their collective behaviors. Recently, increasing evidence has demonstrated that long-chained quorum-sensing signals play roles in priming defense responses in plants. Our previous work indicated that a short-chained signal, N-3-oxo-octanoyl homoserine lactone (3OC8-HSL), enhanced Arabidopsis resistance to the hemi-biotrophic bacteria Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 through priming the salicylic acid (SA) pathway. Here, we found that 3OC8-HSL could also prime resistance to the necrotrophic bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum ssp. carotovorum (Pcc) through the jasmonic acid (JA) pathway, and is dependent on auxin responses, in both Chinese cabbage and Arabidopsis. The subsequent Pcc invasion triggered JA accumulation and increased the down-stream genes' expressions of JA synthesis genes (LOX, AOS, and AOC) and JA response genes (PDF1.2 and VSP2). The primed state was not observed in the Arabidopsis coi1-1 and jar1-1 mutants, which indicated that the primed resistance to Pcc was dependent on the JA pathway. The 3OC8-HSL was not transmitted from roots to leaves and it induced indoleacetic acid (IAA) accumulation and the DR5 and SAUR auxin-responsive genes' expressions in seedlings. When Arabidopsis and Chinese cabbage roots were pretreated with exogenous IAA (10 mu M), the plants had activated the JA pathway and enhanced resistance to Pcc, which implied that the JA pathway was involved in AHL priming by coordinating with the auxin pathway. Our findings provide a new strategy for the prevention and control of soft rot in Chinese cabbage and provide theoretical support for the use of the quorum-sensing AHL signal molecule as a new elicitor.

Automated summary

Long-chained quorum-sensing signals have been shown to play important roles in plant defense responses. The short-chained signal 3OC8-HSL can enhance Arabidopsis and Chinese cabbage resistance to different bacteria through the salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways.