Weapons Of War Flashcards

1
Q

What are the two components of plant defence?

A

Spatial
Temporal

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2
Q

What is a spatial defence?

A

„The defence of a medieval castle - outer and inner walls surrounded by a moat“

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3
Q

What is the temporal defence?

A

The production of defences following the attack as well as during plant development

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4
Q

What is the first point of contact between a plant and its attacker?

A

The cuticle

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5
Q

How does the cuticle help attackers?

A

Differnces in cuticular waxes can be used by specialist insects

The waxes are also important cues for the development of various fungi on the leaf surface

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6
Q

What is the cell wall capable of?

A

Providing structure for the cell as well as protection against outside stresses

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7
Q

What is the cell wall composed of?

A

Cellulose

A long chain of linked sugars (gives wood its strength)

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8
Q

What does the glucose in the cell wall form?

A

Dietary fiber

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9
Q

How are the bundled cellulose fibers called?

A

Microfibrils

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10
Q

What are microfibrils cross - linked with?

A

Hemicelluloses - this provides great strength to the structure

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11
Q

What are the fibers of the cell walls embedded in?

A

Pectins

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12
Q

What are secondary cell walls frequently impregnated with?

A

With lignin

A polymer composed of phenolic compounds, which provides great rigidity to the cell wall

Lignified cell walls are highly impermeable to pathogens

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13
Q

How can pathogens breach these cell wall?

A

By using a cocktail of enzymes capable of breaking down the individual components

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14
Q

What are enzymes to breach the cell wall

A

Cellulases
Hemicellulases
Pectinases

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15
Q

What does xylanase degrade?

A

The linear backbone of xylan - the major hemicellulose in cell walls

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16
Q

What do Polygalacturonase enzymes degrade?

A

The pectic backbone of the cell wall, which is comprised of homogalacturonan

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17
Q

How is the homogalacturonan protected by in newly formed pectin?

A

By the addition of methyl (CH3) groups (They are methyl esterified)

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18
Q

How do pathogens overcome the methyl groups of the homogalacturonan?

A

By methylesterase which removes the methyl groups - now the pathogen can break down the homogalacturonan

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19
Q

Why do plants increase their own pectin methylesterases?

A

The plant is stimulating the release of cell wall fragments with this (DAMPS) that therefore activate defences

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20
Q

Why are pectin methylerases important to the ability of some pathogens to infect their hosts?

A

Pectin methylerases can be inhibited by specific proteins that are used to regulate the cell wall

When overexpressing these inhibitor genes in a plant the pathogens ability to infect the plants is greatly reduced

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21
Q

How does the plant protect itself from these enzymes?

A

By producig proteins that are capable of inhibiting the component enzymes

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22
Q

What are examples for enzyme inhibitors?

A

Xylanase inhibitors

PGIPs (polygalacturonase inhibitor proteins)

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23
Q

Where are PGIPs located?

A

In the cell wall - it can limit fungal invasion

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24
Q

How does a fungal polygalacturonase work?

A

1.They attack the pectin in the cell wall
2. By doing this, cell wall fragments get released - the polygalacturonases reduces these fragments to a size that doesnt trigger defences

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25
Q

How does the plants PGIPs cope with the fungal polygalacturonases?

A
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26
Q

How do plants degrade the fungal cell walls?

A

By producing chitinases ans glucanases, that attack these components in the fungal cell walls.

Plants dont contain chitin, so it is thought that these chitinases are for fungal protection only

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27
Q

How can fungi overcome these chitinases?

A

The tomato leaf mold produces a protein which binds to its own cell wall, that protects the fungus against the tomatos chitinases

This protein binds any fragments of chitin liberated by plant chitinase

One fungus produces the enzyme called fungalysin which cleaves and inactivates the defensive chitinases produced by its plant hosts

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28
Q

What are wheat antimicrobial peptides

A

Molecules in plants (not just in wheat!!) that inhibit hyphal growth

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29
Q

What are papillae?

A

Structures that repair the plant immediately after assault

Also known as cell wall appositions

30
Q

What additional constituents does papillae contain?

A

Phenolics
Lignin
Hydrogen peroxide
Peroxidase (enzyme)

31
Q

What does the lignin do in pappilae?

A

Adds great structural strength

32
Q

What does the peroxidase do in pappilae?

A

It can use hydrogen peroxide to cross-link phenolic compunds and proteins -> reinforces pappilae

33
Q

In which defence stage does pappilae occur

A

In the early stages of defence response

It slows down pathogen ingress, allowing time for additional defence to be deployed

34
Q

Where is papillae found?

A

At sites of successful pathogen penetration

At sites of successful plant defence

35
Q

How can cell wall degrading enzymes, produced by fungi, enter the cell wall

A

By so called nanopores

36
Q

How does a plant stop the fungi from entering via nanopores?

A

In thale cress, callose (Papillae) seals these pores and form a waxy layer on the surface of the cell wall, preventing entry of the enzymes

37
Q

What does the plants vascular system consist of?

A

The xylem and phloem

38
Q

What does the xylem do?

A

Transport water and mineral nutrients from the root to the shoot

39
Q

What does the phloem do?

A

Moving sugars formed in leaves to all other parts of the plant

40
Q

What does the phloem consist of?

A

Sieve elements and companion cells

Plasmodesmata connects these cells

41
Q

What happens when sieve elements mature?

A

The plasmodesmata in the cell wall widens to form sieve plates

They stack on top of each other and form long vessels capable of conducting sugars and other materials

42
Q

How does the plant ward of insects that drink out of the phloem?

A

Callose is deposited on the sieve plates at the point of stylet insertion

43
Q

Where is lignin found?

A

It is a major component in secondary cell walls

44
Q

What is lignins task in the secondary cell wall?

A

It cross links cellulose microfibrils

This provides a rigid and impermeable structure

45
Q

What does the presence of lignin imply in plants

A

That they can grow strong an tall, can form stems and branches capable of bearing flowers and fruits

46
Q

What is lignin?

A

A complex polymer - formed of subunits called monolignols

47
Q

Where are lignin monolignols synthesized?

A

In the cell and then transported to the cell wall where they are polymerized to form lignin

48
Q

How is lignin used by the plant for defence?

A

Lignins get deposited at the site of attack

It provides a structural barrier against attack

Its presence limits degradation of polysaccharides by cell wall degrading enzymes

Can reduce the diffusion of toxins from the pathogen to the plant and of nutrients from the cell towards the pathogen

49
Q

What does imply that plants can monitor the integrity of their cell wall and respond accordingly?

A

Plants can compromise in their ability to produce cellulose activated lignin synthesis

50
Q

How do herbivores adapt to lignin rich plants?

A

They prefer plants with low lignin content

51
Q

How is cork formed?

A

From a layer of cells in the cortex of stems -> Cork camibium

When cells in the cork camibium divide, they grow parenchyma cells facing inward and cork cells outwards

Cork cells get invested with waxy, waterproof suberin

When they reach maturity, they die

52
Q

What are Cork cambium and the cells deriving from it called?

A

The periderm

53
Q

What role does cork play in plant defence?

A

just beyond the site of pathogen attack, some plants produce multiple layers of cork cells

-> this halts the progress of the pathogen and blocks water and nutrient flow, which starves it

54
Q

How do plants expel the invader?

A

The ornamental cherry for example:

They dissolve the middle lamella (Glue that holds cells together) - the circle of invaded cells dies off

55
Q

What are pits?

A

Unlignified areas of the xylems vessel walls that allow waterflow between adjacent xylem vessels

56
Q

What is a tylose?

A

When an invader enters the xylem, these can be produced by the plant

Parenchyma cells surrounding the invaded xylem vessel let their protoplast reach out into the lumen of the vessel - this can block the flow of water and the spread of the pathogen

57
Q

What is chlorogenic acid in plant defence?

A

It has antimicrocial properties

When it is Oxidized in the plant it is able to inactivate enzymes, including those used by pathogens as they attempt to gain acess to plants

58
Q

How can chlorogenic acid protect the plant against fungal attacks?

A

By inhibiting fungal cutinase and polygalacturonase

59
Q

What are the two types of rtrichomes do exist?

A

Nonglandular
Glandular

60
Q

What does the nonglandular trichome do?

A

It acts as a physical barrier to the insects movement on the plants surface

61
Q

What do glandular trichomes do?

A

They release various forms of chemical repellents

62
Q

How much percent of vascular plants produce glandular trichomes?

A

30%

63
Q

How do glandular trichomes get activated?

A

They have a touch sensitive mechanism that opens a secretory cell when touched

64
Q

What cells does a trichome comprise?

A

A basal cell in the epidermal cell layer

One or more stalk cells

Secretory cells at the apex

65
Q

How do fibre cells help in plant defence=

A

Even tho they are made to provide the plant with mechanical strenght, it can also prevent herbivores from eating the plant

66
Q

What are fiber cells?

A

Sclerenchyma tissue

Heavily lignified cells

67
Q

Which mineral is commonly taken up by grasses and ferns to make them stronger?

A

Silica - plants take it up as silicic acid and deposit it primarily in solid bodies called phytoliths in vacuoles and epidermal cell walls

Also in trichomes and spines

68
Q

What are phytoliths?

A

For example: peach pits

69
Q

Which is the most common mineral accumilating in plant tissues?

A

Calcium - usually present as calcium oxalate

70
Q

How are star shaped calcium crystals called?

A

Raphides

71
Q

What function does calcium oxalate have?

A

Anti herbivore defence

72
Q

Where is calcium found in cornifers?

A

In the secondary phloem where it get distributed for defence against bark beetles