How does Epichloë festucae avoid the host defence response? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Genetics at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

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dc.contributor.authorNoorifar, Nazanin
dc.date.accessioned2020-01-31T03:55:37Z
dc.date.available2020-01-31T03:55:37Z
dc.date.issued2018
dc.description.abstractEpichloë festucae is a filamentous fungus, which forms symbiotic associations with aerial tissues of Lolium and Festuca grass species. Chitin, a polymer of N-acetyl-Dglucosamine, is an important component of the fungal cell wall and a well-known pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP). Chitin promotes pathogen-triggered immunity (PTI) upon hydrolysis with plant chitinases and release of chitin oligomers. Therefore, to establish a stable and successful symbiosis, the endophyte needs to remain ‘hidden’ from the host immune system or actively suppress it. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM)-based analysis of leaf tissue infected with the E. festucae wild type strain and infiltrated with the chitin-specific molecular probe, WGA-Alexa Fluor-488, showed that only the septa of endophytic hyphae bound this probe while the entire cell wall was labelled in epiphyllous hyphae confirming previous observations that hyphal cell wall chitin is either masked or remodelled in endophytic hyphae. The aims of this project were (i) to test whether E. festucae LysM-containing proteins have a role in binding to or sequestering cell wall chitin oligomers and thereby preventing PAMPtriggered immunity and (ii) to analyse the composition of the cell wall of endophytic and epiphytic hyphae. An analysis of the E. festucae genome identified seven genes encoding proteins with LysM domains. Expression of two of these genes, lymA and lymB, increased in planta compared to in culture. Interestingly, both are divergently transcribed from chitinase encoding genes (chiA and chiB respectively), which also have increased expression in planta. Single gene deletion mutants of lymA, lymB, chiA and chiB as well as a double gene deletion ΔlymA/B were generated, and their plant interaction phenotype analysed. Plants infected with DlymA, DlymB or DchiA had the same plant-interaction phenotype as wild type whereas ΔchiB and ΔlymA/B mutants had defects in hyphal growth within the leaves. Analysis of hyphal cell wall structure using Chitin Binding Protein (CBP) and chitosan (CAP (Chitosan Affinity Protein) and OGA-488)-specific eGFP-based biosensors suggest that cell wall chitin is converted to chitosan in endophytic hyphae. This structural change is consistent with a lack of a defence response when E. festucae forms a mutualistic symbiotic association with L. perenne. Three E. festucae chitin deacetylase genes were identified (cdaA, cdaB and cdaC), and gene expression analysis showed cdaA expression is significantly increased in planta compare to in culture. Functional analysis of cdaA revealed that although plants infected with the ΔcdaA mutant had a similar whole plant interaction phenotype as wild type, they had an abnormal cellular phenotype. Patches of chitin were exposed along the endophytic hyphae confirming this mutant was unable to convert chitin to chitosan. However, hyphae in these plants still labelled with the chitosan biosensor OGA-488 demonstrating that despite the deletion of the cdaA, the hyphal cell wall of endophytic hyphae still contain chitosan suggesting that another chitin deacetylase, possibly CdaB has a redundant function in E. festucae. Collectively these results show that lymA, lymB and chiB are required for establishment of the symbiosis between E. festucae and L. perenne. In addition, this study shows that chitin is converted to chitosan in the hyphal cell wall of endophytic hyphae during the infection and colonisation of the host. The E. festucae chitin deacetylase gene cdaA is also essential for proper hyphal growth in planta and the symbiotic interaction.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10179/15179
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherMassey Universityen_US
dc.rightsThe Authoren_US
dc.subjectEpichloëen_US
dc.subjectGeneticsen_US
dc.subjectEndophytic fungien_US
dc.subjectGeneticsen_US
dc.subjectLolium perenneen_US
dc.subjectPlant defensesen_US
dc.subjectImmune responseen_US
dc.subjectMolecular aspectsen_US
dc.titleHow does Epichloë festucae avoid the host defence response? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Genetics at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealanden_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
massey.contributor.authorNoorifar, Nazanin
thesis.degree.disciplineGeneticsen_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)en_US
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