Abstract
Elicitors are capable of mimicking the perception of a pathogen by a plant, thereby triggering induction of a sophisticated defense response in plants. In this study, we investigated an induced resistance in eggplant in respect to cell wall strengthening and defense enzyme activation affected by four elicitors such as, chitosan (CHT), salicylic acid (SA), methyl salicylate (MeSA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). The increase in total phenolic content of eggplant roots by the elicitors was significantly higher. Lignin deposition in the cell wall of eggplant roots was increased 5, 4, 3 and 3 times by SA, CHT, MeJA and MeSA at 96 h of elicitation, respectively. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity showed an increase of 4.7, 3.7, 3.5 and 3.2 times by SA, CHT, MeJA and MeSA at 36 h of elicitation, respectively. Highest activity of peroxidase (POD) was observed at 24 h after elicitation under the precise influence of CHT and SA. The activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) and catalase (CAT) were also increased several folds by the elicitors. Accumulation of phenolics and lignin in high amounts, together with higher level activity of major defense enzymes in response to the elicitors, may bolster eggplants in mounting practical and effective resistance against Ralstonia solanacearum, the devastating wilt pathogen. Key words: Catalase, chitosan, cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, lignin, methyl jasmonate, methyl salicylate, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, peroxidase, salicylic acid, Solanum melongena.
Highlights
Eggplant or brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) is an important and widely consumed vegetable crop of India grown round the year
We investigated an induced resistance in eggplant in respect to cell wall strengthening and defense enzyme activation affected by four elicitors such as, chitosan (CHT), salicylic acid (SA), methyl salicylate (MeSA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA)
Bacterial wilt caused by Abbreviations: CHT, Chitosan; SA, salicylic acid; MeSA, methyl salicylate; MeJA, methyl jasmonate; Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase; PPO, polyphenol oxidase; CAD, cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase; CAT, catalase; POD, peroxidise; JA, jasmonic acid; AIR, alcohol insoluble residue; TGA, thioglycolic acid; PVP, polyvinyl pyrrolidone; ASM, acibenzolar-S-methyl; SABP2, salicylic acid-binding protein 2
Summary
Eggplant or brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) is an important and widely consumed vegetable crop of India grown round the year. Eggplant suffers heavy yield losses due to many diseases like bacterial wilt, little leaf, Phomopsis blight, Verticillium wilt, sclerotinia blight, Fusarium wilt and leaf spots. Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi is one of the most serious diseases of eggplant and many other crops in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of the world (Hayward, 1991). The pathogen is soil-borne with a wide host-range and very difficult to control. Management strategies like crop rotation, adjusting the date of planting, cultural methods and soil treatment are not effective against the pathogen (Chellemi et al, 1997). Though biological control of bacterial wilt disease has been reported using antagonistic bacteria, no effective control measure is available for this pathogen in any of its hosts
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