Sugar beet root susceptibility to storage rots and downregulation of plant defense genes increases with time in storage

Authors: Kandel, Shyam; Eide, John; FIRRINCIELI, ANDREA - University Of Tuscia; FINGER, FERNANDO - Universidade Federal De Vicosa; LAFTA, ABBAS - North Dakota State University; Fugate, Karen

Submitted to: Scientific Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/29/2024
Publication Date: 11/8/2024
Citation: Kandel, S.L., Eide, J.D., Firrincieli, A., Finger, F., Lafta, A., Fugate, K.K. 2024. Sugar beet root susceptibility to storage rots and downregulation of plant defense genes increases with time in storage. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-78323-4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-78323-4

Interpretive Summary: After harvest, sugarbeet roots are often kept in storage for months prior to processing. Fungal and bacterial pathogens infect sugarbeet roots in storage, of which Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium species are the most common. Pathogen-infected sugarbeet roots are subject to decay and sucrose loss at significant economic cost to the industry. The current study determined the effects of storage duration and storage temperature on the defensive capability of sugarbeet roots to withstand rots due to B. cinerea and P. vulpinum infection. This research demonstrated the progressive increase in root susceptibility to storage rots with greater time in storage. Additionally, we identified innate genetic components within sugarbeet roots that are potentially involved in defense against storage pathogens. These findings provide guidance for future research to improve sugarbeet root resistance against storage pathogens and reduce storage losses from storage diseases.

Technical Abstract: Storage rots are a significant cause of postharvest losses for the sugar beet crop, however, intrinsic physiological and genetic factors that determine the susceptibility of roots to pathogen infection and disease development are unknown. Research, therefore, was carried out to evaluate the disease development in sugar beet roots caused by two common storage pathogens as a function of storage duration and storage temperature, and to identify changes in the expression of defense genes that may be influencing the root susceptibility to disease. To evaluate root susceptibility to disease, freshly harvested roots were inoculated with Botrytis cinerea or Penicillium vulpinum on the day of harvest or after 12, 40, or 120 d storage at 5 or 12 °C and the weight of rotted tissue present in the roots after incubation for 35 d after inoculation were determined. Disease susceptibility and progression to B. cinerea and P. vulpinum increased with storage duration with elevations in susceptibility occurring more rapidly to B. cinerea than P. vulpinum. Also, B. cinerea was more aggressive than P. vulpinum and caused greater rotting and tissue damage in postharvest sugar beet roots. Storage temperature had minimal effect on root susceptibility to these rot-causing pathogens. Changes in defense gene expression were determined by sequencing mRNA isolated from uninoculated roots that were similarly stored for 12, 40 or 120 d at 5 or 12 °C. As susceptibility to rot increased during storage, concurrent changes in defense-related gene expression were identified, including the differential expression of 425 pathogen receptor and 275 phytohormone signal transduction pathway-related genes. Furthermore, plant resistance and hormonal signaling genes that were significantly altered in expression coincident with the change in root susceptibility to storage rots were identified. Further investigation into the function of these genes may ultimately elucidate methods by which storage rot resistance in sugar beet roots may be improved in the future.