Trehalose induces resistance to powdery mildew in wheat

Summary • Reduction in the degree of powdery mildew infection of wheat leaves is observed after treatments with trehalose, a nonreducing disaccharide commonly found in a wide variety of organisms, including fungi. • Wheat (Triticum aestivum) cv. Sideral plants grown in phytotrons were inoculated with Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici. In addition to degree of infection, the effect of trehalose solution was further investigated using light and fluorescence microscopy and enzyme assays. • Infection in wheat leaves was reduced by 50 and 95% with trehalose solution (15 g l−1) following a single spraying and three sprayings, respectively; in a detached leaf assay, trehalose was effective at concentrations as low as 0.01 g l−1. Trehalose did not inhibit conidial germination and differentiation of appressoria (in vitro or on the leaf epidermis), but enhanced papilla deposition in epidermal cells. Trehalose also enhanced phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and peroxidase (PO) activities; both markers of plant defence responses. However, the level of three cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) activities (conyferyl, p-coumaryl and sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase) was unchanged. • Trehalose treatment of wheat confers resistance to B. graminis infection by activating plant defence responses (e.g. papilla deposition, PAL and PO activities).