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Canditate metabolites for ash dieback tolerance in Fraxinus excelsior

Ash dieback, a forest epidemic caused by the invasive fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, threatens ash trees throughout Europe. Within Fraxinus excelsior populations, a small proportion of genotypes show a low susceptibility to the pathogen. We compared the metabolomes from a cohort of low-susceptibility ash genotypes with a cohort of high-susceptibility ash genotypes. This revealed two significantly different chemotypes. A total of 64 candidate metabolites associated with reduced or increased susceptibility in the chemical families secoiridoids, coumarins, flavonoids, phenylethanoids, and lignans. Increased levels of two coumarins, fraxetin and esculetin, were strongly associated with reduced susceptibility to ash dieback. Both coumarins inhibited the growth of H. fraxineus in vitro when supplied at physiological concentrations, thereby validating their role as markers for low susceptibility to ash dieback. Similarly, fungal growth inhibition was observed when the methanolic bark extract of low-susceptibility ash genotypes was supplied. Our findings indicate the presence of constitutive chemical defense barriers against ash dieback in ash.

Details

Number of pages 9
Volume 71
Magazine issue 19
Pages (to-from) 6074-6083
Type A1: Web of Science-article
Category Research
Magazine Journal of Experimental Botany
Language English
Bibtex

@misc{92deb08e-2e8e-4dd7-b394-2a013217f0ef,
title = "Canditate metabolites for ash dieback tolerance in Fraxinus excelsior",
abstract = "Ash dieback, a forest epidemic caused by the invasive fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, threatens ash trees throughout Europe. Within Fraxinus excelsior populations, a small proportion of genotypes show a low susceptibility to the pathogen. We compared the metabolomes from a cohort of low-susceptibility ash genotypes with a cohort of high-susceptibility ash genotypes. This revealed two significantly different chemotypes. A total of 64 candidate metabolites associated with reduced or increased susceptibility in the chemical families secoiridoids, coumarins, flavonoids, phenylethanoids, and lignans. Increased levels of two coumarins, fraxetin and esculetin, were strongly associated with reduced susceptibility to ash dieback. Both coumarins inhibited the growth of H. fraxineus in vitro when supplied at physiological concentrations, thereby validating their role as markers for low susceptibility to ash dieback. Similarly, fungal growth inhibition was observed when the methanolic bark extract of low-susceptibility ash genotypes was supplied. Our findings indicate the presence of constitutive chemical defense barriers against ash dieback in ash.",
author = "Miguel Nemesio-Gorriz and Riya C Menezes and Christian Paetz and Almuth Hammerbacher and Marijke Steenackers and Kurt Schamp and Monica Höfte and Ales Svatos and Jonathan Gershenzon and Gerry C Douglas",
year = "2020",
month = oct,
day = "07",
doi = "https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eraa306",
language = "English",
publisher = "Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek",
address = "Belgium,
type = "Other"
}

Authors

Miguel Nemesio-Gorriz
Riya C Menezes
Christian Paetz
Almuth Hammerbacher
Marijke Steenackers
Kurt Schamp
Monica Höfte
Ales Svatos
Jonathan Gershenzon
Gerry C Douglas