Analysis of development and virulence factors and the effect of NO on germination and the cell cycle in Botrytis cinerea

Abstract

[EN]Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic plant pathogenic fungus that infect more than 200 crop species, causing great losses of production worldwide. Its disease is called gray mould, name derived from the greyish colour and velvety texture characteristic of infected tissues. The pathogen owns several features that make it difficult to control. It is a ubiquitous microorganism with presence in almost all climates and shows a wide variety of pathogenicity factors and mechanisms that allow it to attack the host plant in many different ways. This is strengthened by its numerous sources of inoculum, some of which allow it to survive for a long time in crop debris (Williamson et al., 2007). The fungus exhibits a necrotrophic lifestyle, killing the host plant cells before colonization and feeding on the dead tissues. Although, it is mainly a pathogen of aerial parts of the plant such as leaves, flowers, fruits, buds, and stems, it can also infect seeds, both during their development and the post-harvest period (Elad et al., 2004). Besides, it is known that it can penetrate the host in an early stage of crop development and remains in a quiescent mode for long time until the environmental conditions and physiological state of the plant are favourable for the disease to begin. At this time, it can infect healthy tissues even modulating their defensive response for its own benefit (Van Kan, 2006; Williamson et al., 2007). B. cinerea causes considerable economic losses in a wide range of crops which it attacks, including mainly dicotyledonous hosts, but also some monocotyledonous plant species. This, along with its scientific importance due to its biology and ecology features, have caused B. cinerea to be considered as the second phytopathogenic fungus in order of importance, and as a model for necrotrophic pathogens in molecular plant pathology (Elad et al., 2015; Dean et al., 2012; van Kan, 2006).