Catalases Are Induced During Fungal Infections in Sugarcane to Instigate the Defense Responses During Red Rot and Wilt Disease

• Published in: Gesunde Pflanzen 2025-02, Vol.77 (1), p.2
• Main Authors: Gujjar, Ranjit Singh, Kumar, Rajeev, Goswami, Sanjay Kumar, Kumar, Sanjeev, Chinnaswamy, Appunu, Manimekalai, Ramaswamy, Ramanathan, Valarmathi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Catalase; Cultivars; Cushions; Extremities; Fungal infections; Fungi; Gene expression; Genes; Inoculation; Life Sciences; Oxidoreductase; Plant layout; Plant Pathology; Proteins; Proteomics; Real time; Red rot; Sugarcane; Wilt
• ISSN: 2948-264X; 0367-4223; 2948-2658; 1439-0345
• DOI: 10.1007/s10343-024-01084-7

Diseases caused by fungal infections, particularly red rot, and wilt, cause enormous losses to the production of sugarcane. Catalase is an oxidoreductase, homotetrameric, and heme-containing enzyme, associated with providing cushion during internal and external extremities of plants like biotic and abiotic stresses. Our study focuses on exploring the role of catalases during defense responses in sugarcane. This is a novel study where we report the occurrence of 21 catalases, identified through nanoLC-MS/MS-based proteomics approach post Colletotrichum falcatum infection in red rot resistant (BO91) and susceptible (CoJ64) cultivars of sugarcane. The red-rot resistant cultivar possessed predominantly more number (nineteen) of catalase proteins (Catalase‑1 to 10, and Catalase-11 to 19), compared to the susceptible cultivar which contained only twelve catalase proteins (Catalase‑1 to 10, Catalase-20, and 21). Out of ten catalases common in both the cultivars of sugarcane, the peptide abundance of catalase‑1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 was significantly induced by C. falcatum inoculation in both the cultivars. qRT-PCR-based real-time expression analysis of selected six catalase genes ( Catalase-1–6 ) was performed in the same set of experiments to substantiate the findings of proteomics. The results of catalase gene expression corroborated the findings of proteomics to a large extent. Further confirmation of catalase expression was substantiated by the qRT-PCR-based study in different sets of conditions by inoculating the wilt-susceptible cultivar (Co7717) of sugarcane with Fusarium sacchari . The qRT-PCR-based expression patterns of selected catalase genes, in F. sacchari inoculated leaves of the Co7717 cultivar, were in agreement with the real-time expression of catalase genes in C. falcatum inoculated stalks of the CoJ64 cultivar. Our study supports the firm association of catalases in the defense responses of sugarcane during red rot and wilt disease.