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Endophytes of Forest Trees pp 157–172Cite as

The Endophytic Trichoderma hamatum Isolate DIS 219b Enhances Seedling Growth and Delays the Onset of Drought Stress in Theobroma cacao

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Part of the book series: Forestry Sciences ((FOSC,volume 80))

Abstract

Theobroma cacao (cacao) is a tropical understory tree with sensitivity to drought. Cacao responds to drought by decreases in net photosynthesis, PS II efficiency, stomatal conductance, water potential and changes in leaf florescence. Drought also alters cacao gene expression as well as leaf glucose and free amino acid content. In recent years an incredible diversity of fungal endophytes has been identified in association with cacao. These endophytes are being studied for the benefits they provide to cacao including tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. During establishment of the endophytic association between cacao and fungal endophytes both plant and fungal gene expression are altered. The endophytic Trichoderma hamatum isolate DIS 219b delays the onset of drought stress in cacao. This delay manifests itself through enhanced root growth, maintenance of stomatal conductance, water potential, net photosynthesis, and PSII efficiency, changes in free amino acid concentrations, and a delay in drought-induced changes in leaf gene expression. The cacao plant and DIS 219b adapt to each other and this adaptation may contribute to the observed plant growth promotion and the delay in onset of drought stress. The increase in root growth is thought to increase water uptake and availability, delaying the time point where the water supply becomes limiting and drought stress occurs.

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Abbreviations

MIP:

major intrinsic protein

BGF:

blue-green fluorescence

PA:

polyamine

EST:

expression sequence tag

TcODC :

ornithine decarboxylase

TcADC :

arginine decarboxylase

TcSAMDC :

S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase

TcTPP :

trehalose-6-phosphatase

TcSOT :

putative sorbitol transporter

TcPR5 :

osmotin-like protein

TcNI :

putative alkaline/neutral invertase

TcCESA3 :

putatively encoding a cellulose synthase

TcLOX :

13-lipoxygenase

AOC:

allene oxide cyclase

TcTIP :

a tonoplast intrinsic protein

TcRPK :

receptor-like protein kinase

TcMKK4 :

putative mitogen-activated protein

TcSTK :

serine/threonine protein kinase

NR:

nitrate reductase

HK:

histidine kinase

TcHK :

sensor type histidine kinase

TcMAPK3 :

mitogen-activated protein kinase

TcPP2C :

protein phosphatase

TcZFP :

C2H2 zinc finger protein

ABA:

abscisic acid

VAM:

vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza

ASP:

asparagine

HIS:

histidine

ARG:

arginine

PRO:

proline

GABA:

gamma-aminobutyric acid

VAL:

valine

LEU:

leucine

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory (USDA-ARS), BARC-West, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA

    Bryan A. Bailey & Rachel Melnick

  2. School of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, 712–749, Republic of Korea

    Hanhong Bae

  3. CABI Caribbean & Latin America – CATIE Office, Centro Agronómico Tropica de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE), Turrialba, 7170, Cartago, Costa Rica

    Jayne Crozier

Authors
  1. Bryan A. Bailey
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  2. Hanhong Bae
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  3. Rachel Melnick
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  4. Jayne Crozier
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Correspondence to Bryan A. Bailey .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Biology, University of Oulu, Linnanmaa Biologintie A6, Oulu, 90570, Finland

    Anna Maria Pirttilä

  2. , School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, North Lake Road 5200, Merced, 95343, California, USA

    A. Carolin Frank

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Bailey, B.A., Bae, H., Melnick, R., Crozier, J. (2011). The Endophytic Trichoderma hamatum Isolate DIS 219b Enhances Seedling Growth and Delays the Onset of Drought Stress in Theobroma cacao . In: Pirttilä, A., Frank, A. (eds) Endophytes of Forest Trees. Forestry Sciences, vol 80. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1599-8_10

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