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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Kimberly, Idaho » Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #383164
Research Project: Development of Elite Sugar Beet Germplasm Enhanced for Disease Resistance and Novel Disease Management Options for Improved Yield

Location: Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research

Title: Cell wall degrading enzymes associated with Rhizoctonia solani can increase sugar beet root damage in the presence of Leuconostoc mesenteroides

Author
item Majumdar, Raj
item Strausbaugh, Carl
item MINOCHA, RAKESH - Us Forest Service (FS)

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2021
Publication Date: 1/6/2022
Citation: Majumdar, R., Strausbaugh, C.A., Minocha, R. 2022. Cell wall degrading enzymes associated with Rhizoctonia solani can increase sugar beet root damage in the presence of Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Phytopathology. 111(10S):S2.150-151.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Rhizoctonia solani mediated crown and root rot in sugar beet is a major yield constraint in the U.S. and worldwide. The overall damage of sugar beet roots is significantly increased when R. solani is in close contact with the bacterium Leuconostoc mesenteroides in comparison to either alone. We hypothesized that the lack of plant cell wall degrading enzymes in L. mesenteroides and provision of such enzymes by R. solani when closely associated, is the major cause of increased root damage. In planta sugar beet root inoculation with or without the presence of cell wall degrading enzymes revealed greater (P <0.0001) rot when L. mesenteroides was combined with cell wall degrading enzymes such as cellulase (49 mm of rot), polygalacturonase (48 mm), and pectin lyase (35 mm) versus these enzymes (0 – 11 mm), R. solani (13 mm), and L. mesenteroides (22 mm) individually. The enzyme data was further supported by carbohydrate analysis of the infected root samples. Higher degradation of complex cell wall carbohydrates was reflected by the increase in simpler sugars such as glucose + galactose (407 – 1033%), and fructose (161 – 411%) in the R. solani + L. mesenteroides infected roots in comparison to mock control or L. mesenteroides only infected samples. Gene expression data in R. solani when interacting with L. mesenteroides, corroborated well with the enzyme and carbohydrate studies. The data suggest future targeting of R. solani cell wall degrading enzymes could be an effective strategy to mitigate sugar beet root damage during its interaction with L. mesenteroides.