Plant Responses

to
Microbial Contact

Pre-formed (Constitutive) Defenses

Inducible Responses

1
 Constitutive defenses can be either
structural, chemical or both

Physical Barriers

Cuticle
- cuticular wax
- cutin polymer

Cell wall
- polysaccharide matrix
- phenylpropanoid esters/amides
- cell wall proteins
2
Lacey Samuels - UBC 3
Lacey Samuels - UBC

4
 cuticle

Lacey Samuels - UBC 5

Waxes - long chain alkanes and alcohols

Cutin / Suberin - 3-d polyester polymers

CO
O O
C
O

6
Cell wall polysaccharides

microfibrillar cellulose

neutral hemicelluloses -
xyloglucans
mixed beta 1-3, 1-4 glucans

acidic polysaccharides -
partially methyl-esterified homogalacturonans
and rhamnogalacturonans

7
8
9
Cell wall proteins

Hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGP);

extensins major structural proteins of the plant cell
wall

Oxidizing enzymes peroxidases and laccases can oxidize

and cross-link phenolic molecules
- oxalate oxidase and amine oxidases
can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as H2O2

10
 Cell wall proteins

hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGP)

high content of hydroxyproline, lysine and tyrosine

-OH -NH3+

sidechains
OH

short oligosaccharide sidechains attached to -OH groups

11
Oxidizing enzymes peroxidases
laccases

2x

OH H- OH

OH
12
Pre-formed Chemical Defenses
Phytoanticipins

- antimicrobial peptides
- phenolic esters
- lignin
- flavonoids Secondary
- isoprenoid lipids metabolites
- glucosinolates
- cyanogenic glycosides 13
Inducible Chemical Defenses
Phytoalexins

- antimicrobial peptides
- phenolic esters
- lignin
- flavonoids Secondary
- isoprenoid lipids metabolites
- glucosinolates
- cyanogenic glycosides 14
Phytoalexins were originally defined formally as

low molecular weight

anti-microbial (at physiological concentrations and
against the relevant organism)
not pre-existing

plant secondary metabolites whose synthesis/

accumulation is induced when a potential pathogen contacts
the plant

Problems:
not pre-existing is a technology-dependent parameter
often not very effective as stand-alone anti-microbials
often induced by other biotic and abiotic stresses
15
Antimicrobial peptides

Short cationic peptides that are able to form

pores in microbial membranes. Highly variable
structures and activities.

Some are constitutively expressed (especially in seeds)

while others are induced by stress/pathogens

Thaumatin-like proteins
Lipid transfer proteins
Anti-freeze proteins
Defensins

16
Secondary metabolites

Hydroxycinnamic acid
Chlorogenic acid

17
Oxidizing enzymes: polyphenol oxidase

2H- HS - Enz
H2N - Enz
OH O

OH O
ortho-quinone
S - Enz

OH
covalent
conjugation OH

product - denatured 18