Abstract
Stomata are important regulators of carbon dioxide uptake and transpirational water loss. They also represent points of vulnerability as bacterial and fungal pathogens utilise this natural opening as an entry portal, and thus have an increasingly complex relationship. Unlike the situation with bacterial and fungal pathogens, we know very little about the role of stomata in viral infection. Here we report findings showing that viral infection influences stomatal development in two susceptible host systems (Nicotiana tabacum with TMV (Tobacco mosaic virus), and Arabidopsis thaliana with TVCV (Turnip vein-clearing virus)), but not in resistant host systems (Nicotiana glutinosa and Chenopodium quinoa with TMV). Virus infected plants had significantly lower stomatal indices in systemic leaves of susceptible systems; N. tabacum 9.8% reduction and A. thaliana 12.3% reduction, but not in the resistant hosts. Stomatal density in systemic leaves was also significantly reduced in virus infected A. thaliana by 19.6% but not in N. tabacum or the resistant systems. In addition, transpiration rate was significantly reduced in TMV infected N. tabacum.
Highlights
Stomata are important regulators of carbon dioxide uptake and transpirational water loss
These included ‘susceptible hosts’, Nicotiana tabacum infected with TMV (Tobacco mosaic virus) and Arabidopsis thaliana (Col-0) infected with TVCV (Turnip vein clearing virus)
Infected N. tabacum plants displayed mosaic symptoms in leaves developed after infection while after the same period, infected A. thaliana plants displaying leaf stunting in a systemic manner
Summary
Stomata are important regulators of carbon dioxide uptake and transpirational water loss They represent points of vulnerability as bacterial and fungal pathogens utilise this natural opening as an entry portal, and have an increasingly complex relationship. When the guard cells are fully turgid the pore gapes open and this permits the uptake of CO2 for photosynthesis and the loss of water by evapotranspiration. This latter process is the driving force responsible for the transport of water and mineral nutrients from the roots to the aerial parts. We report the result of experiments showing that viral infection of susceptible hosts results in reductions in stomatal density, stomatal index and reduced transpirational water loss
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