Research progress on the regulation of vascular lignification on defense against bacterial wilt of plants

• Published in: 浙江大学学报. 农业与生命科学版
• Main Authors: LI Chenying, WANG Ran, LIANG Yan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Zhejiang University Press 2023-10-01
• Subjects: bacterial wilt; <italic>Ralstonia solanacearum</italic>; lignification; cell wall; induced resistance
• Online Access: https://www.academax.com/doi/10.3785/j.issn.1008-9209.2023.06.171

Bacterial wilt, a typical vascular disease caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, is one of the most devastating diseases and dramatically reduces crop yield and quality. The most effective strategy for controlling wilt disease is breeding disease-resistant varieties, which requires understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying plant immune responses against R. solanacearum. However, more and more evidence suggests that vascular immune responses are cell type specific. After sensing of R. solanacearum, the cell wall lignification of vascular tissues plays a vital role in restricting the spread of R. solanacearum. Lignin biosynthesis pathway genes are strictly controlled at the transcriptional, translational, and spatial-temporal specific expression aspects. Here, we summarized the current understanding of the recognition and signal transduction upon R. solanacearum infection and the research progress of pathogen-induced vascular lignification on regulating resistance to R. solanacearum, including the expression of lignin biosynthesis genes, the transport and polymerization of monolignols, and the generation of different types of lignin. We hope that this review will provide a theoretical basis for breeding bacterial wilt disease-resistant cultivars by modifying vascular lignification.