Trichoderma asperelloides enhances local (LAR) and systemic acquired resistance (SAR) response under low nitrate nutrition in Arabidopsis

Nitrogen (N) is essential for growth, development and defense but, how low N affects defense and the role of Trichoderma in enhancing defense under low nitrate is not known. Low nitrate fed Arabidopsis plants displayed reduced growth and compromised local and systemic acquired resistance responses when infected with both avirulent and virulent Pseudomonas syringae DC3000. These responses were enhanced in the presence of Trichoderma. The mechanism of increased local and systemic acquired resistance mediated by Trichoderma involved increased N uptake and enhanced protein levels via modulation of nitrate transporter genes. The nrt2.1 mutant is compromised in local and systemic acquired resistance responses suggesting a link between enhanced N transport and defense. Enhanced N uptake was mediated by Trichoderma elicited nitric oxide (NO). Low NO producing nia1,2 mutant and nsHb+ over expressing lines were unable to induce nitrate transporters and thereby compromised defense in the presence of Trichoderma under low N suggesting a signaling role of Trichoderma elicited NO. Trichoderma also induced SA and defense gene expression under low N. The SA deficient NahG transgenic line and the npr1 mutant were also compromised in Trichoderma-mediated local and systemic acquired resistance responses. Collectively our results indicated that the mechanism of enhanced plant defense under low N mediated by Trichoderma involves NO, ROS, SA production as well as the induction of NRT and marker genes for systemic acquired resistance. One-sentence summaryTrichoderma enhances local and systemic acquired resistance under low nitrate nutrition