Selected Publications

The list below includes some of my most important recent publications.
Full lists can be accessed from my profiles on ORCID and Google Scholar.
You can also view my profiles on Research Gate

Roberts lab publications

Stevens, K., Roberts, M.R., Jeynes-Cupper, K., Majeed, L., Pastor, V., Catoni, M., Luna, E. (2024) Developmentally regulated generation of a systemic signal for long-lasting defence priming in tomato. New Phytologist.

a tomato fruit Abstract ...BABA-IR was found to be transmissible from primed rootstock to grafted unprimed scions. In these scions, we identified a subset of mobile 24 nt sRNAs associated with genes showing primed expression during infection in fruit. Read more...

Prestt, A.J. and Roberts, M.R. (2023) Specific suppression of vascular wilt disease of onion is linked with fungal soil community structure. Rhizosphere 25: 100671.

an onion Abstract The soil microbiome plays an important role in plant health and is therefore being investigated as a target to develop new approaches for sustainable crop protection. Here, we aimed to investigate the roles of bacterial and fungal communities in suppression of vascular wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum in soils used for the cropping of onion (Allium cepae).   Read more...

Catoni, M., Alvarez-Venegas, R., Worrall, D., Holroyd, G., Barraza, A., Luna, E., Ton, J. and Roberts, M.R. (2022) Long-lasting defence priming by β-aminobutyric acid in tomato is marked by genome-wide changes in DNA methylation. Frontiers in Plant Science 13: 836326.

CHH methyylation profile Abstract Exposure of plants to stress conditions or to certain chemical elicitors can establish a primed state, whereby responses to future stress encounters are enhanced. Here, we characterise epigenetic changes in tomato plants primed for pathogen resistance by treatment with β-aminobutyric acid (BABA). We used whole genome bisulphite sequencing to construct tomato methylomes from control plants and plants treated with BABA at the seedling stage, and a parallel transcriptome analysis to identify genes primed for the response to inoculation by Botrytis cinerea. Read more...

Bazzarelli, F., Mazzei, R., Papaioannou, E., Giannakopoulos, V., Roberts, M.R., Giorno, L. (2022) Biorefinery of tomato leaves by integrated extraction and membrane processes to obtain fractions that enhance induced resistance against Pseudomonas syringae infection. Membranes 12: 585

Membrane filtration scheme Abstract Tomato leaves have been shown to contain significant amounts of important metabolites involved in protection against abiotic and biotic stress and/or possessing important therapeutic properties. In this work, a systematic study was carried out to evaluate the potential of a sustainable process for the fractionation of major biomolecules from tomato leaves, by combining aqueous extraction and membrane processes.   Read more...

López Sánchez, A., Pascual-Pardo, D., Furci, L., Roberts, M.R. and Ton, J. (2021) Costs and Benefits of Transgenerational Induced Resistance in Arabidopsis. Front. Plant Sci. 12: 644999

family treeAbstract ... the evolutionary and ecological significance of transgenerational induced resistance (t-IR) is poorly understood because a clear understanding of how parents interpret environmental cues in relation to the effectiveness, stability, and anticipated ecological costs of t-IR is lacking. Here, we have used a full factorial design to study the specificity, costs, and transgenerational stability of t-IR. Read more...

Butler, H.J., Martin, F.L., Roberts, M.R., Adams, S., McAinsh M.R. (2019) Observation of nutrient uptake at the adaxial surface of leaves of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) using Raman spectroscopy. Analytical Letters 53: 536-562

spectrumAbstract Foliar application of nutrient fertilizers is standard practice in agricultural environments, and has been shown to increase crop yield and quality more efficiently and economically than soil-based fertilizers. ... Herein we describe a method to observe nitrate (NO3−) uptake at the adaxial leaf surface to determine the efficacy of foliar fertilizers. We use Raman microspectroscopy as a sensitive approach to monitor NO3−...   Read more...

Srivastava A.K., Orosa B., Singh P., Cummins I., Walsh C., Zhang C., Grant M., Roberts M.R., Anand G.S., Fitches E., Sadanandom A. (2018) SUMO suppresses the activity of the jasmonic acid receptor CORONATINE INSENSITIVE 1. Plant Cell 30: 2099–2115 

COI1 protein Abstract Plants respond rapidly to sudden environmental cues, often responding prior to changes in the hormone levels that coordinate these responses. How this is achieved is not fully understood. The integrative role of the phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA) relies upon the plant's ability to control the levels of JASMONATE ZIM (JAZ) domain-containing repressor proteins. Here, we demonstrate that regardless of intrinsic JA levels, Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO)-conjugated JAZ proteins inhibit the JA receptor CORONATINE INSENSITIVE1 (COI1) from mediating non-SUMOylated JAZ degradation. Read more...

Singh P., Dave A., Vaistij F.E., Worrall D., Holroyd G.H., Wells J.G., Kaminski F., Graham I.A., Roberts M.R. (2017) Jasmonic acid-dependent regulation of seed dormancy following maternal herbivory in Arabidopsis. New Phytologist 214: 1702–1711 

PrashantAbstract Maternal biotic stress alters offspring defence phenotypes, but whether it also affects seed dormancy remains unexplored. We exposed Arabidopsis thaliana plants to herbivory and investigated plasticity in germination and defence phenotypes in their offspring, along with the roles of phytohormone signalling in regulating maternal effects. Herbivory generates a jasmonic acid-dependent reduction in seed dormancy, mediated by alteration of gibberellin and abscisic acid signalling. Read more...

Nesbit C.M., Menendez R., Roberts, M.R., Wilby, A. (2016) Associational resistance or susceptibility: the indirect interaction between chemically-defended and non-defended herbivore prey via a shared predator. Oikos 125: 1802-1811 

barley guard cell pairAbstract Many organisms possess chemical defences against their natural enemies, which render them unpalatable or toxic when attacked or consumed. These chemically-defended organisms commonly occur in communities with non- or less-defended prey, leading to indirect interactions between prey species, mediated by natural enemies. Although the importance of enemy-mediated indirect interactions have been well documented, how the presence of prey chemical defences may affect predation of non-defended prey in terrestrial communities remains unclear. Read more...

Nesbit C.M., Wilby A., Roberts M.R., Menéndez, R. (2015) Selection of aphid prey by a generalist predator: Do prey chemical defences matter? Ecological Entomology 40: 767-775.

Abstract For predators, prey selection should maximise nutrition and minimise fitness costs. In the present study, it was investigated whether a generalist predator [Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) lacewing larvae] rejected harmful, chemically-defended prey [Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus) aphids] when non-defended prey [Myzus persicae (Sulzer) aphids] were available. Read more...

Shen L., Sun P., Bonnell V.C., Edwards K.J., Hetherington A.M., McAinsh M.R., Roberts M.R. (2015) Measuring stress signalling responses of stomata in isolated epidermis of graminaceous species. Frontiers in Plant Science 6: 533.

barley guard cell pairAbstract The ability to study stomatal responses in isolated epidermis has been an important factor in elucidating the mechanisms by which stomata respond to environmental stresses. However, such approaches have rarely been applied to study guard cell signalling in the stomata of graminaceous species, in which the guard cells have a markedly different morphology to those in other plants. Here, we demonstrate stoamtal closure assays in isolated abaxial epidermal peels from barley, wheat and Brachypodium distachyon. Read more...

Worrall, D., Holroyd, G.H., Moore, J.P., Glowacz, M., Croft, P., Taylor, J.E., Paul, N.D., Roberts, M.R. (2012) Treating seeds with activators of plant defence generates long lasting priming of resistance to pests and pathogens. New Phytologist 193: 770-778.

Abstract Priming of defence is a strategy employed by plants exposed to stress to enhance resistance against future stress episodes with minimal associated costs on growth. Here, we test the hypothesis that application of priming agents to seeds can result in plants with primed defences. Read more...

Luna E., Bruce T.J.A., Roberts M.R., Flors V., Ton J. (2012) Next generation systemic acquired resistance. Plant Physiology 158: 844-853.

Abstract Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is a plant immune response to pathogen attack. Recent evidence suggests that plant immunity involves regulation by chromatin remodeling and DNA methylation. We investigated whether SAR can be inherited epigenetically following disease pressure by Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 (PstDC3000). Read more...

Short E.F., North K.A., Roberts, M.R., Hetherington, A.M. Shirras, A.D., McAinsh, M.R. (2012) A stress-specific calcium signature regulating an ozone-responsive gene expression network in Arabidopsis. Plant Journal 71: 948-961.

Abstract Changes in gene expression form a key component of the molecular mechanisms by which plants adapt and respond to environmental stresses. There is compelling evidence for the role of stimulus-specific Ca2+ signatures in plant stress responses. However, our understanding of how they orchestrate the differential expression of stress-induced genes remains fragmentary. Read more...