Fungal Seed Pathogens of Wild Chili Peppers Possess Multiple Mechanisms To Tolerate Capsaicinoids

ABSTRACT The wild chili pepper Capsicum chacoense produces the spicy defense compounds known as capsaicinoids, including capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, which are antagonistic to the growth of fungal pathogens. Compared to other microbes, fungi isolated from infected seeds of C. chacoense possess much higher levels of tolerance of these spicy compounds, having their growth slowed but not entirely inhibited. Previous research has shown capsaicinoids inhibit microbes by disrupting ATP production by binding NADH dehydrogenase in the electron transport chain (ETC) and, thus, throttling oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Capsaicinoids may also disrupt cell membranes. Here, we investigate capsaicinoid tolerance in fungal seed pathogens isolated from C. chacoense. We selected 16 fungal isolates from four ascomycete genera (Alternaria, Colletotrichum, Fusarium, and Phomopsis). Using relative growth rate as a readout for tolerance, fungi were challenged with ETC inhibitors to infer whether fungi possess alternative respiratory enzymes and whether effects on the ETC fully explained inhibition by capsaicinoids. In all isolates, we found evidence for at least one alternative NADH dehydrogenase. In many isolates, we also found evidence for an alternative oxidase. These data suggest that wild-plant pathogens may be a rich source of alternative respiratory enzymes. We further demonstrate that these fungal isolates are capable of the breakdown of capsaicinoids. Finally, we determine that the OXPHOS theory may describe a weak primary mechanism by which dihydrocapsaicin, but not capsaicin, slows fungal growth. Our findings suggest that capsaicinoids likely disrupt membranes, in addition to energy poisoning, with implications for microbiology and human health. IMPORTANCE Plants make chemical compounds to protect themselves. For example, chili peppers produce the spicy compound capsaicin to inhibit pathogen damage and animal feeding. In humans, capsaicin binds to a membrane channel protein, creating the sensation of heat, while in microbes, capsaicin limits energy production by binding respiratory enzymes. However, some data suggest that capsaicin also disrupts membranes. Here, we studied fungal pathogens (Alternaria, Colletotrichum, Fusarium, and Phomopsis) isolated from a wild chili pepper, Capsicum chacoense. By measuring growth rates in the presence of antibiotics with known respiratory targets, we inferred that wild-plant pathogens might be rich in alternative respiratory enzymes. A zone of clearance around the colonies, as well as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry data, further indicated that these fungi can break down capsaicin. Finally, the total inhibitory effect of capsaicin was not fully explained by its effect on respiratory enzymes. Our findings lend credence to studies proposing that capsaicin may disrupt cell membranes, with implications for microbiology, as well as human health.

Fungal seed pathogens of wild chili peppers possess multiple mechanisms to tolerate capsaicinoids

The wild chili pepper Capsicum chacoense produces the spicy defense compounds known as capsaicinoids, including capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, antagonistic to the growth of fungal pathogens. Compared to other microbes, fungi isolated from infected seeds of C. chacoense possess much higher tolerance to these spicy compounds, having their growth slowed, but not entirely inhibited. Previous research has shown capsaicinoids inhibit microbes by disrupting ATP production via the binding of NADH dehydrogenase in the Electron Transport Chain (ETC), throttling Oxidative Phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Capsaicinoids may also disrupt cell membranes. Here, we investigated capsaicinoid tolerance in fungal seed pathogens isolated from C. chacoense. We selected 16 fungal isolates from four Ascomycete genera (Alternaria, Colletotrichum, Fusarium and Phomopsis). Using relative growth rate as a readout for tolerance, fungi were challenged with ETC inhibitors to infer if fungi possess alternative respiratory enzymes, and if effects on the ETC fully explained inhibition by capsaicinoids. In all isolates, we found evidence for at least one alternative NADH dehydrogenase. In many isolates we also found evidence for an alternative oxidase. These data suggest wild plant pathogens may be a rich source of alternative respiratory enzymes. We further demonstrate these fungal isolates are capable of the breakdown of capsaicinoids. Lastly, we determine the OXPHOS theory weakly explains the primary mechanism by which dihydrocapsaicin slows fungal growth, but not capsaicin. Our findings suggest capsaicinoids likely disrupt membranes in addition to energy poisoning, with implications for microbiology and human health.ImportancePlants make chemical compounds to protect themselves. For example, chili peppers produce the spicy compound capsaicin to inhibit animal feeding and pathogen damage. In humans, capsaicin binds to a membrane channel protein, creating the sensation of heat, while in microbes, capsaicin limits energy production by binding respiratory enzymes. However, some data suggest capsaicin also disrupts membranes. Here we studied fungal pathogens (Alternaria, Colletotrichum, Fusarium, and Phomopsis) isolated from a wild chili pepper, Capsicum chacoense. By measuring growth rate in the presence of antibiotics with known respiratory targets, we infer wild plant pathogens may be rich with alternative respiratory enzymes. A zone of clearance around the colonies, as well as LCMS data, further indicate these fungi can break down capsaicin. Lastly, the total inhibitory effect of capsaicin was not fully explained by its effect on respiratory enzymes. Our findings lend credence to studies proposing capsaicin may disrupt cell membranes, with implications for microbiology as well as human health.

Identification of Resistance to Powdery Mildew in Chile Pepper

Powdery mildew [Leveillula taurica (Lév.) Arn] is a fungus causing epidemics on chile peppers (Capsicum sp.) worldwide. It was first observed in New Mexico in the late 1990s and has been a reoccurring issue. During the 2017 growing season, environmental conditions were highly favorable for powdery mildew development and severe infection was observed. This provided a unique opportunity to identify novel sources of resistance in Capsicum to powdery mildew. In the present study, the incidence and severity of powdery mildew was evaluated for 152 chile pepper accessions comprising different cultivars and species. Major differences in disease severity and incidence were observed among the accessions. Of the 152 accessions, 53 were resistant, i.e., received a disease index (DI) score of ≤1. When examining across Capsicum species, 16 Capsicum annuum accessions, all 8 Capsicum baccatum, all 21 Capsicum chinense, 5 of 6 Capsicum frutescens, the Capsicum chacoense accession, and the Capsicum rhomboideum accession were resistant. These results provide several accessions with resistance that can be used in breeding programs. Especially important are the C. annuum resistant accessions, as this resistance can be more quickly incorporated into commercially important C. annuum cultivars as compared with interspecific hybridizations.

Why are not all chilies hot? A trade-off limits pungency

Evolutionary biologists increasingly recognize that evolution can be constrained by trade-offs, yet our understanding of how and when such constraints are manifested and whether they restrict adaptive divergence in populations remains limited. Here, we show that spatial heterogeneity in moisture maintains a polymorphism for pungency (heat) among natural populations of wild chilies ( Capsicum chacoense ) because traits influencing water-use efficiency are functionally integrated with traits controlling pungency (the production of capsaicinoids). Pungent and non-pungent chilies occur along a cline in moisture that spans their native range in Bolivia, and the proportion of pungent plants in populations increases with greater moisture availability. In high moisture environments, pungency is beneficial because capsaicinoids protect the fruit from pathogenic fungi, and is not costly because pungent and non-pungent chilies grown in well-watered conditions produce equal numbers of seeds. In low moisture environments, pungency is less beneficial as the risk of fungal infection is lower, and carries a significant cost because, under drought stress, seed production in pungent chilies is reduced by 50 per cent relative to non-pungent plants grown in identical conditions. This large difference in seed production under water-stressed (WS) conditions explains the existence of populations dominated by non-pungent plants, and appears to result from a genetic correlation between pungency and stomatal density: non-pungent plants, segregating from intra-population crosses, exhibit significantly lower stomatal density ( p = 0.003), thereby reducing gas exchange under WS conditions. These results demonstrate the importance of trait integration in constraining adaptive divergence among populations.

Two Amino Acid Substitutions in the Coat Protein of Pepper mild mottle virus Are Responsible for Overcoming the L4 Gene-Mediated Resistance in Capsicum spp.

The Capsicum spp. L genes (L1 to L4) confer resistance to tobamoviruses. Currently, the L4 gene from Capsicum chacoense is the most effective resistance gene and has been used widely in breeding programs in Japan which have developed new resistant cultivars against Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV). However, in 2004, mild mosaic symptoms began appearing on the leaves of commercial pepper plants in the field which possessed the L4 resistance gene. Serological and biological assays on Capsicum spp. identified the causal virus strain as a previously unreported pathotype, P1,2,3,4. PMMoV sequence analysis of the virus and site-directed mutagenesis using a PMMoV-J of the P1,2 pathotype revealed that two amino acid substitutions in the coat protein, Gln to Arg at position 46 and Gly to Lys at position 85, were responsible for overcoming the L4 resistance gene.

The coat protein of tobamovirus acts as elicitor of both L 2 and L 4 gene-mediated resistance in Capsicum

In Capsicum, the resistance conferred by the L 2 gene is effective against all of the pepper-infecting tobamoviruses except Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), whereas that conferred by the L 4 gene is effective against them all. These resistances are expressed by a hypersensitive response, manifested through the formation of necrotic local lesions (NLLs) at the primary site of infection. The Capsicum L 2 gene confers resistance to Paprika mild mottle virus (PaMMV), while the L 4 gene is effective against both PaMMV and PMMoV. The PaMMV and PMMoV coat proteins (CPs) were expressed in Capsicum frutescens (L 2 L 2) and Capsicum chacoense (L 4 L 4) plants using the heterologous Potato virus X (PVX)-based expression system. In C. frutescens (L 2 L 2) plants, the chimeric PVX virus containing the PaMMV CP was localized in the inoculated leaves and produced NLLs, whereas the chimeric PVX containing the PMMoV CP infected the plants systemically. Thus, the data indicated that the PaMMV CP is the only tobamovirus factor required for the induction of the host response mediated by the Capsicum L 2 resistance gene. In C. chacoense (L 4 L 4) plants, both chimeric viruses were localized to the inoculated leaves and produced NLLs, indicating that either PaMMV or PMMoV CPs are required to elicit the L 4 gene-mediated host response. In addition, transient expression of PaMMV CP into C. frutescens (L 2 L 2) leaves and PMMoV CP into C. chacoense (L 4 L 4) leaves by biolistic co-bombardment with a β-glucuronidase reporter gene led to the induction of cell death and the expression of host defence genes in both hosts. Thus, the tobamovirus CP is the elicitor of the Capsicum L 2 and L 4 gene-mediated hypersensitive response.

Pollen Tube Growth in Interspecific Crosses between Capsicum Species

Crossing barriers between white- and purple-flowered species were examined. Four accessions of Capsicum annuum and three of C. pubescens were reciprocally crossed with one to four accessions of C. baccatum, C. cardenasii, C. chacoense, C. chinense, C. eximium, C. frutescens, C. galapagoense, and C. praetermissum. Capsicum chacoense is the only white-flowered species that inhibits C. annuum pollen tube growth but allows C. pubescens pollen tube penetration into the egg cell. Capsicum cardenasii and C. eximium exhibit similar crossabilities with C. annuum and C. pubescens: pollen tubes of C. cardenasii and of C. eximium can penetrate the egg cells of C. annuum but not vice versa, and pollen tubes of C. pubescens can penetrate the egg cells of C. cardenasii and of C. eximium but not vice versa.