A functional gene-for-gene interaction is required for the production of an oxidative burst in response to infection with avirulent Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato in Arabidopsis thaliana

An early event correlated with the gene-for-gene hypersensitive response (HR) is the accumulation of active oxygen species (AOS), also known as the oxidative burst. We present data that genetically demonstrates that the oxidative burst is a downstream component of the RPS2- avrRpt2gene-for-gene signal cascade. An in planta AOS assay using the fluorescent probe 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) was modified for use with the Arabidopsis thaliana / Pseudomonas syringae pv.tomato (P. syringae pv. tomato) model system. An oxidative burst occurred between 8 and 15hpi with avirulent P. syringae pv. tomato(avrRpt2), but not with virulent P. syringae pv. tomato. This burst preceded cell death and was not observed in the RPS2 Arabidopsis mutantsrps2-101C and rps2-201 inoculated with avirulent P. syringae pv. tomato. An HR-like response has been observed when plants undergoing a systemic acquired resistance (SAR) response are challenged with a normally virulent pathogen (manifestation stage of SAR), however an HR-like oxidative burst was not detected by the in planta AOS assay during this stage of SAR.