Effects of the endophyte Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN and its lipopolysaccharide on potato leaves

Abstract: Endophytes are microorganisms that live within host plants for at least part of their life and do not cause apparent symptoms of diseases. Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN shows plant growth-promoting effects and was reported to enhance plant vigor and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. We studied PsJN and its lipopolysaccharides (LPS) as possible agents to trigger induced systemic resistance. LPS are one of the most important microbe associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), which act as general elicitor of basal or innate immune response. One leaf per potato plant was infiltrated with the endophyte PsJN, its LPS or with buffer as control treatment. After 24 hours of infiltration non-infiltrated leaves were collected. Salicylic acid (SA), nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and plant transcriptome analysis were carried out.