Response of brassinosteroid-treated oilseed rape cotyledons to infection with the wild type and HR-mutant of Pseudomonas syringae or with P. fluorescence

Abstract

Abstract The aim of the study has been to determine the protection effect of brassinosteroid (BR27) in oilseed rape cotyledons against infection by an incompatible wild type of, a hypersensitive response mutant of and saprophytic Pseudomonas bacteria. In this paper, membrane permeability, PSII efficiency and metabolic activity were analysed. The following strains of Pseudomonans were used: P. syringae pv. syringae (Ps), P. syringae pv. syringae hrcC mutant (Pm) and P. fluorescence (Pf). The study was carried out using two cultivars of spring oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.): ‘Licosmos’ and ‘Huzar’. Pre-treatment of cotyledons with BR27 caused about 50–70% increase in ion leakage for both cultivars. However, BR27 significantly decreased ion leakage from cotyledons inoculated with Ps in both cultivars. Infection with Ps and Pf caused disturbances of energy flow in PSII by lowering its efficiency in rape cotyledons. We noted insignificant impact of 24-epibrassinolide on PSII efficiency if compared to absolut...