Effect of Cryptococcus laurentii on inducing disease resistance in cherry tomato fruit with focus on the expression of defense-related genes

• Published in: Food chemistry 2018-07, Vol.254, p.208-216
• Main Authors: Lai, Jia, Cao, Xuan, Yu, Ting, Wang, Qiang, Zhang, Yanwen, Zheng, Xiaodong, Lu, Huangping
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cryptococcus laurentii; Defense-related proteins; Fruit quality; Gene expression; Hormone signaling pathway; Induced disease resistance
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.01.100

•C. laurentii can noticeably induce disease resistance in cherry tomato.•Defense-related enzymes were significantly activated.•SA signaling pathway was activated while that of JA was first inhibited then activated.•Gene expressions of PR proteins were significantly up regulated.•C. laurentii has positive influence on maintaining fruit quality of cherry tomato. The objective of this study was to prove and explain the disease resistance-inducing ability of Cryptococcus laurentii on cherry tomato, as well as assay its effect on fruit quality. Apart from disease incidence, activities of defense-related enzymes and expression of critical genes were studied. With pre-treatment of C. laurentii, disease incidences of Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria alternate infected fruits were both significantly reduced. Corresponding mechanism could be explained as C. laurentii can induce resistance in cherry tomato by activating the expression of important defense-related genes, such as genes involved in salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathways and genes encoding pathogenesis related proteins, thus activating comprehensive defense reaction against pathogen invasion. Coupled with the results that fruit color was improved and other physicochemical parameters remained uninfluenced, our study suggests that pre-treatment with C. laurentii can be a promising method to preserve cherry tomato fruits.