Tissues Of Tomato Plants Research Articles

Two SnRK2 protein kinases genes play a negative regulatory role in the osmotic stress response in tomato

Sucrose non-fermenting 1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) proteins positively regulate abscisic acid signaling, and play important roles in plant stress responses. Seven genes encoding SlSnRK2s were isolated from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Micro Tom), which showed homology to Arabidopsis SnRK2.2/SnRK2.3/SnRK2.6. Transcriptional levels were analyzed in tomato under salinity stress, all seven genes were repressed in the first 24 h under stress treatment. But the transcriptional levels of four SlSnRK2 genes dramatically increased at 72 h, which was not detected in transcriptional level of SlSnRK2.1, SlSnRK2.2 and SlSnRK2.3, indicating SlSnRK2.1, SlSnRK2.2 and SlSnRK2.3 might act differently as other four SlSnRK2 in tomato. SlSnRK2.1 and SlSnRK2.2 were selected for further analysis. The expression patterns of SlSnRK2.1 and SlSnRK2.2 differed among various tissues of tomato plants. A subcellular localization analysis showed that these SlSnRK2s were localized on the cytoplasm and nucleus. Transgenic plants overexpressing SlSnRK2s exhibited a lower germination rate than wild type (WT) under saline conditions. In contrast, RNA-interference lines which down regulate both SlSnRK2.1 and SlSnRk2.2 showed a higher germination rate than that of WT under saline conditions. Furthermore, the activities of peroxidase, catalase and proline content were lower and the malondialdehyde content was higher in overexpressing lines than in WT under salinity and drought conditions. Moreover, overexpression of SlSnRK2s altered the transcriptional levels of the stress-related genes PR5, LHA1, HVA22 and RBOHC under osmotic stress conditions. These results demonstrated that overexpression of SlSnRK2.1 and SlSnRK2.2 decreased osmotic stress tolerance. Therefore, these SlSnRK2s may be involved in osmotic stress signal transduction and may play negative roles in the stress response.

Characterization of gold nanoparticle uptake by tomato plants using enzymatic extraction followed by single-particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry analysis.

Plant uptake and accumulation of nanoparticles (NPs) represent an important pathway for potential human expose to NPs. Consequently, it is imperative to understand the uptake of accumulation of NPs in plant tissues and their unique physical and chemical properties within plant tissues. Current technologies are limited in revealing the unique characteristics of NPs after they enter plant tissues. An enzymatic digestion method, followed by single-particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) analysis, was developed for simultaneous determination of gold NP (AuNP) size, size distribution, particle concentration, and dissolved Au concentration in tomato plant tissues. The experimental results showed that Macerozyme R-10 enzyme was capable of extracting AuNPs from tomato plants without causing dissolution or aggregation of AuNPs. The detection limit for quantification of AuNP size was 20 nm, and the AuNP particle concentration detection limit was 1000 NPs/mL. The particle concentration recoveries of spiked AuNPs were high (79-96%) in quality control samples. The developed SP-ICP-MS method was able to accurately measure AuNP size, size distribution, and particle concentration in the plant matrix. The dosing study indicated that tomato can uptake AuNPs as intact particles without alternating the AuNP properties.

Rhizobacteria induces resistance against Fusarium wilt of tomato by increasing the activity of defense enzymes

Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici (Fol), is one of the most important diseases that affect tomato yield worldwide. This study investigated the potential of three antagonists, Streptomyces setonii (UFV 618), Bacillus cereus (UFV 592) and Serratia marcescens (UFV 252), and as positive control the hormone jasmonic acid (JA), to reduce Fusarium wilt symptoms and to potentiate the defense enzymes in the stem tissues of tomato plants infected by Fol. The seeds were microbiolized with each antagonist, and the soil was also drenched with them. The plants were sprayed with JA 48 h before Fol inoculation. The area under the Fusarium wilt index progress curve was reduced by 54, 48, 47 and 45% for the UFV 618, JA, UFV 592 and UFV 252 treatments, respectively. The three antagonists, and even the JA spray, efficiently reduced the Fusarium wilt symptoms on the tomato plant stems, which can be explained by the lower malondialdehyde concentration (an indication of oxidative damage to lipids in the plasma membranes) and the greater activities of peroxidases, polyphenoloxidases, glucanases, chitinases, phenylalanine ammonia-lyases and lipoxygenases, which are commonly involved in host resistance against fungal diseases. These results present a novel alternative that can be used in the integrated management of Fusarium wilt on tomatoes.

Potential Interactions between Salmonella enterica and Ralstonia solanacearum in Tomato Plants

Over the past decade, the Eastern Shore of Virginia (ESV) has been implicated in at least four outbreaks of salmonellosis associated with tomato, all originating from the same serovar, Salmonella enterica serovar Newport. In addition to Salmonella Newport contamination, the devastating plant disease bacterial wilt, caused by the phytopathogen Ralstonia solanacearum, threatens the sustainability of ESV tomato production. Bacterial wilt is present in most ESV tomato fields and causes devastating yield losses each year. Although the connection between bacterial wilt and tomato-related salmonellosis outbreaks in ESV is of interest, the relationship between the two pathogens has never been investigated. In this study, tomato plants were root dip inoculated with one of four treatments: (i) 8 log CFU of Salmonella Newport per ml, (ii) 5 log CFU of R. solanacearum per ml, (iii) a coinoculation of 8 log CFU of Salmonella Newport per ml plus 5 log CFU of R. solanacearum per ml, and (iv) sterile water as control. Leaf, stem, and fruit samples were collected at the early-green-fruit stage, and S. enterica contamination in the internal tissues was detected. S. enterica was recovered in 1.4 and 2.9% of leaf samples from plants inoculated with Salmonella Newport only and from plants coinoculated with Salmonella Newport plus R. solanacearum, respectively. S. enterica was recovered from 1.7 and 3.5% of fruit samples from plants inoculated with Salmonella Newport only and from plants coinoculated with Salmonella Newport plus R. solanacearum, respectively. There were significantly more stem samples from plants coinoculated with Salmonella Newport plus R. solanacearum that were positive for S. enterica (18.6%) than stem samples collected from plants inoculated with Salmonella Newport only (5.7%). Results suggested that R. solanacearum could influence S. enterica survival and transportation throughout the internal tissues of tomato plants.

Transcriptional profile of tomato roots exhibiting Bacillus thuringiensis-induced resistance to Ralstonia solanacearum

Activation of SA-dependent signaling pathway and suppression of JA-dependent signaling pathway seem to play key roles inB. thuringiensis-induced resistance toR. solanacearumin tomato plants. Bacillus thuringiensis, a well-known and effective bio-insecticide, has attracted considerable attention as a potential biological control agent for the suppression of plant diseases. Treatment of tomato roots with a filter-sterilized cell-free filtrate (CF) of B. thuringiensis systemically suppresses bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum through systemic activation of the plant defense system. Comparative analysis of the expression of the Pathogenesis-Related 1(P6) gene, a marker for induced resistance to pathogens, in various tissues of tomato plants treated with CF on their roots suggested that the B. thuringiensis-induced defense system was activated in the leaf, stem, and main root tissues, but not in the lateral root tissue. At the same time, the growth of R. solanacearum was significantly suppressed in the CF-treated main roots but not in the CF-treated lateral roots. This distinct activation of the defense reaction and suppression of R. solanacearum were reflected by the differences in the transcriptional profiles of the main and lateral tissues in response to the CF. In CF-treated main roots, but not CF-treated lateral roots, the expression of several salicylic acid (SA)-responsive defense-related genes was specifically induced, whereas jasmonic acid (JA)-related gene expression was either down-regulated or not induced in response to the CF. On the other hand, genes encoding ethylene (ET)-related proteins were induced equally in both the main and lateral root tissues. Taken together, the co-activation of SA-dependent signaling pathway with ET-dependent signaling pathway and suppression of JA-dependent signaling pathway may play key roles in B. thuringiensis-induced resistance to R. solanacearum in tomato.

Foliar and Radicular Absorption of Boron by Beetroot and Tomato Plants

The isotopic technique was employed to study boron (B) mobility in tomato and beetroot plants under protected cultivation conditions. An experiment was conducted in which both species grew in 10-dm3 vases filled with coconut fiber, under hydroponic conditions. The plants were subjected to four different treatments: (1) no B in the substratum and no foliar fertilization; (2) no B in the substratum, with foliar 10B fertilization; (3) B in the substratum, with foliar 10B fertilization; and (4) 10B in the substratum and no foliar fertilization. The biological growth variables and total B and 10B contents in the plant parts grown after the application of the nutrient were evaluated. For increasing B content in young tissues, the foliar application of this element was not as efficient as application via root system, indicating low mobility of B in the tissues of both beetroot and tomato plants.

Bacillus thuringiensis suppresses bacterial wilt disease caused by Ralstonia solanacearum with systemic induction of defense-related gene expression in tomato.

Bacillus thuringiensis is a naturally abundant Gram-positive bacterium and a well-known, effective bio-insecticide. Recently, B. thuringiensis has attracted considerable attention as a potential biological control agent for the suppression of plant diseases. In this study, the bacterial wilt disease-suppressing activity of B. thuringiensis was examined in tomato plants. Treatment of tomato roots with B. thuringiensis culture followed by challenge inoculation with Ralstonia solanacearum suppressed the development of wilt symptoms to less than one third of the control. This disease suppression in tomato plants was reproduced by pretreating their roots with a cell-free filtrate (CF) that had been fractionated from B. thuringiensis culture by centrifugation and filtration. In tomato plants challenge-inoculated with R. solanacearum after pretreatment with CF, the growth of R. solanacearum in stem tissues clearly decreased, and expression of defense-related genes such as PR-1, acidic chitinase, and β-1,3-glucanase was induced in stem and leaf tissues. Furthermore, the stem tissues of tomato plants with their roots were pretreated with CF exhibited resistance against direct inoculation with R. solanacearum. Taken together, these results suggest that treatment of tomato roots with the CF of B. thuringiensis systemically suppresses bacterial wilt through systemic activation of the plant defense system.

Involvement of hydrogen peroxide in the regulation of coexpression of alternative oxidase and rotenone-insensitive NADH dehydrogenase in tomato leaves and calluses

The involvement of active oxygen forms in the regulation of the expression of mitochondrial respiratory chain components, which are not related to energy storing, has been in vitro and in vivo studied in Lycopersicum esculentum L. The highest level of transcription of genes encoding alternative oxidase and NADH dehydrogenase has been observed in green tomato leaves. It has been shown that even low H2O2 concentrations activate both aoxlalpha and ndb1 genes, encoding alternative oxidase and external mitochondrial rotenone-insensitive NADH dehydrogenase, respectively. According to our results, in the case of an oxidative stress, alternative oxidase and NADH dehydrogenase are coexpressed in tomato plant tissues, and active oxygen forms serve as the secondary messengers of their coexpression.

Salicylic acid increased aldose reductase activity and sorbitol accumulation in tomato plants under salt stress

Increased aldose reductase (ALR) activities were detected in the leaf tissues of tomato plants grown for 3 weeks in culture medium containing 10−7 or 10−4 M salicylic acid (SA), and in the roots after the 10−4 M SA pretreatment. The ALR activity changed in parallel with the sorbitol content in the leaves of the SA-treated plants. Salt stress elicited by 100 mM NaCl enhanced the accumulation of sorbitol in the leaves of control plants and as compared with the untreated control the sorbitol content in the SA-pretreated leaves remained elevated under salt stress. DEAE cellulose anionexchange column purification of the protein precipitated with 80 % (NH4)2SO4 revealed two enzyme fractions with ALR activity in both the leaf and the root tissues. The fraction of the leaf extract that was not bound to the column reacted with glucose and glucose-6-P as substrates, whereas glucose was not a substrate for the bound fraction or for root isoenzymes. The root enzyme was less sensitive to salt treatment: 50 mM NaCl caused 30 % inhibition in the leaf extract, whereas the enzyme activity of the root extract was not affected. It is suggested that increased ALR activity and sorbitol synthesis in the leaves of SA-treated tomato plants may result in an improved salt stress tolerance.

Anatomical Deviations Caused by a Monopartite Geminivirus Infection in Tissues of Tomato Plants

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) causing major yield losses in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) crops was isolated in Kuwait. The virus was found to produce characteristic external symptoms of yellowing and curly leaves on tomato test plants. Electron Microscopy of ultra‐thin sections in infected leaves showed several anatomical deviations in the ultrastructure of some organelles such as chloroplasts associated with alteration and severe damage in thylakoids and grana that contain photosynthetic pigments of chlorophyll and carotenoids. Abnormal building up of oily inclusions and empty vacuoles in the chloroplast stromas were observed. Uneven thickenings in the cell walls of the phloem tissues were found in all samples showed the characteristic external symptoms compared with healthy plant tissues. The virus identity was confirmed using Polymerase Chain Reaction technology, Southern Blot Hybridization and Dot Blot analysis. It was revealed that the causal virus was characterized as a monopartite Geminivirus. It has been found that uneven thickening in the cell walls resulted in developing the curly symptoms in tomato leaves. It was also concluded from this study that in response to TYLCV infection, severe damage in chloroplasts including thylakoids in grana resulted in 44 ‐79% reduction in chlorophyll 'a and 'b causing the yellowing symptoms and crop losses.

Elemental chemical composition of plants under primary pedogenic conditions

The experimental results on the elemental composition of tomato and wheat plant tissues under primary pedogenic conditions are presented for the first time. The classification rule obtained allows separating chemical elements in various plant organs into four groups based on the principle of statistical homogeneity of their content in groups. It is established that the combined state of elements, determined by an integral indicator—entropy—is strictly differentiated for various plant organs.

두 개의 새로운 phytotoxin의 Botrytis cinerea 병원성에시의 역할

Botrytis cinerea 균주의 병원성에 있어서 phytotoxin의 역할을 규명하는 연구를 하던 중에 B. cinerea 2-16균주가 생산하는 새로운 phytotoxin을 분리 동정하였다. 두 개의 물질은 3-O-acetyl botcinol과 3-O-acetyl botcinolide로 동정되었다. 본 연구는 두 개의 물질과 B. cinerea의 병원성과의 상관관계를 규명하고자 실시하였다. 25개의 B. cinerea 균주 중에서 병원성이 약한 3개의 B. cinerea 균주는 액체배지에서 두 phytotoxin을 생산하지 않았다. 병원성이 강하거나 중간정도인 균주들은 두 phytotoxin을 생산하는 균과 생산하지 않는 균으로 나뉘었다. 한편, 25개의 균주 중에서 10균주의 액체배양액 에틸아세테이트 추출물이 9개의 식물체를 이용한 whole plant assay에서 phytotoxicity를 나타냈으며, 이들 10개 추출물 모두에서 두 phytotoxin이 검출되었다. In planta 실험에서는 병원성이 강한 균주에 감염된 식물조직에서 모두 두 phytotoxin이 검출되었다. 하지만 두 phtotoxin의 생산량과 병원성과는 상관관계를 보이지 않았다. 두 phytotoxin은 B. cinerea 2-16 균주에 감염된 토마토 조직에서 3일째부터 검출되기 시작해 4일째는 가장 크게 증가하였으며 그 후 감소하였다. 이상의 실험 결과 3-O-acetyl botcinol과 3-O-acetyl botcinolide는 B. ciuereo의 발병과정에 있어서 중요한 역할을 할 것으로 추정되지만 병을 일으키는데 일차적인 요인은 아닐 것으로 사료된다. In the course of study on the roles of phytotoxins in the pathogenicity of Botrytis cinerea, we isolated two novel phytotoxins. They were identified as 3-O-acetyl botcinol and 3-O-acetyl botcinolide. In this study, we investigated correlation between the two phytotoxins and the pathogenicity of B. cinerea. In liquid cultures, the two phytotoxins were not produced by three low pathogenic isolates out of 25 B. cinerea isolates. Among strong or moderate pathogenic isolates, some produced the two phytotoxins, but the others did not. On the other hand, the ethyl acetate extracts of fermentation broths of 10 out of 25 isolates showed phytotoxic activity against various plants tested in a whole plant assay. The phytotoxins were detected in all of the 10 phytotoxic ethyl acetate extracts. In planta, the two phytotoxins were detected in all of the plant tissues infected with strong pathogenic isolates. However, there was no correlation between the ability of B. cinerea isolates to produce the two phytotoxins and their pathogenicities. The two phytotoxins began to detect in tomato plant tissues infected with B. cinerea 2-16 at 3 days after inoculation, increased gradually till 4 days after inoculation, and then decreased. The above results suggest that 3-O-acetyl botcinol and 3-O-acetyl botcinolide are one of pathogenicity factors for B. cinerea, but not a primary determinant of its pathogenicity.

Influence of Simulated Quinclorac Drift on the Accumulation and Movement of Herbicide in Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) Plants

Quinclorac (3,7-dichloro-8-quinolinecarboxylic acid) is a herbicide commonly used in rice, and its drift has been suspected of causing injury to off-target tomato fields throughout Arkansas. Studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of single and multiple simulated quinclorac drift applications on tomato plant growth and development. Residues extracted from tomato plants treated with 0.42 g of ai ha(-1) were below the detection limit of liquid chromatography-double mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Quinclorac residue levels and half-lives in tomato tissue increased as the application rate and number of applications increased. From 3 to 72 h after (14)C-quinclorac treatment of plants, most of the absorbed (14)C was retained in the treated leaf, and translocations of (14)C out of the treated leaf of vegetative and flowering tomato plant tissues were similar. Of the (14)C that translocated out of the treated leaf, the greatest movement was acropetally. The flower cluster contained 1% of the total absorbed (14)C, which suggests the potential for quinclorac translocation into tomato fruit. More extensive research will be required to understand the impact that quinclorac may have on tomato production in the area.

Determination of o,oEDDHA – a xenobiotic chelating agent used in Fe fertilizers – in plant tissues by liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry: overcoming matrix effects

The Fe(III)-chelate of ethylenediamine-N,N'-bis(o-hydroxyphenylacetic) acid (o,oEDDHA) is generally considered as the most efficient and widespread Fe fertilizer for fruit crops and intensive horticulture. The determination of the xenobiotic chelating agent o,oEDDHA inside the plant is a key issue in the study of this fertilizer. Both the low concentrations of o,oEDDHA expected and the complexity of plant matrices have been important drawbacks in the development of analytical methods for the determination of o,oEDDHA in plant tissues. The determination of o,oEDDHA in plant materials has been tackled in this study by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry using several plant species and tissues. Two types of internal standards have been tested: Iron stable isotope labeled compounds and a structural analogue compound, the Fe(III) chelate of ethylenediamine-N,N'-bis(2-hydroxy-4-methylphenylacetic) acid (o,oEDDHMA). Iron stable isotope labeled internal standards did not appear to be suitable because of the occurrence of isobaric endogenous compounds and/or isotope exchange reactions between plant native Fe pools and the Fe stable isotope of the internal standard. However, the structural analogue Fe(III)-o,oEDDHMA is an adequate internal standard for the determination of both isomers of o,oEDDHA (racemic and meso) in plant tissues. The method was highly sensitive, with limits of detection and quantification in the range of 3-49 and 11-162 pmol g(-1) fresh weight, respectively, and analyte recoveries were in the range of 74-116%. Using this methodology, both o,oEDDHA isomers were found in all tissues of sugar beet and tomato plants treated with 90 microM Fe(III)-o,oEDDHA for 24 h, including leaves, roots and xylem sap. This methodology constitutes a useful tool for studies on o,oEDDHA plant uptake, transport and allocation.

Pseudomonas putida strain PCL1760 controls tomato foot and root rot in stonewool under industrial conditions in a certified greenhouse

Pseudomonas putida strain PCL1760 was isolated previously from the avocado rhizosphere, using an enrichment method for competitive tomato root tip colonizers that selects for biological control strains which act through the biological control mechanism “competition for nutrients and niches” (CNN). Here we demonstrate that strain PCL1760 showed significant biological control of tomato foot and root rot (TFRR), a disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici ( Forl), in eight independent laboratory experiments in stonewool substrate. Furthermore, its activity in stonewool was also tested in an industrial setup. The presence of Forl appeared to decrease seed germination. The additional presence of the biological control strain partly restored the germination level. Introduction of P. putida PCL1760 resulted in significant biological control of TFRR. PCR quantification revealed that the biological control strain decreased the amount of Forl DNA in tomato plant tissue significantly. We conclude that the results of this trial show that P. putida strain PCL1760, which acts through the new mechanism CNN, controls TFRR also under industrial stonewool conditions.

Role of ethylene in the protection of tomato plants against soil-borne fungal pathogens conferred by an endophytic Fusarium solani strain

An endophytic fungal isolate (Fs-K), identified as a Fusarium solani strain, was obtained from root tissues of tomato plants grown on a compost which suppressed soil and foliar pathogens. Strain Fs-K was able to colonize root tissues and subsequently protect plants against the root pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. radicis-lycopersici (FORL), and elicit induced systemic resistance against the tomato foliar pathogen Septoria lycopersici. Interestingly, attenuated expression of certain pathogenesis-related genes, i.e. PR5 and PR7, was detected in tomato roots inoculated with strain Fs-K compared with non-inoculated plants. The expression pattern of PR genes was either not affected or aberrant in leaves. A genetic approach, using mutant tomato plant lines, was used to determine the role of ethylene and jasmonic acid in the plant's response to infection by the soil-borne pathogen F. oxysporum f.sp. radicis-lycopersici (FORL), in the presence or absence of isolate Fs-K. Mutant tomato lines Never ripe (Nr) and epinastic (epi1), both impaired in ethylene-mediated plant responses, inoculated with FORL are not protected by isolate Fs-K, indicating that the ethylene signalling pathway is required for the mode of action used by the endophyte to confer resistance. On the contrary, def1 mutants, affected in jasmonate biosynthesis, show reduced susceptibility to FORL, in the presence Fs-K, which suggests that jasmonic acid is not essential for the mediation of biocontrol activity of isolate Fs-K.

Molecular characterization of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria that enhance peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activities in chile (Capsicum annuum L.) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

Pythium and Phytophthora species are associated with damping-off diseases in vegetable nurseries and reduce seedling stand and yield. In this study, bacterial isolates were selected on the basis of in vitro antagonism potential to inhibit mycelial growth of damping-off pathogens along with plant growth properties for field assessment in wet and winter seasons. We demonstrate efficacy of bacterial isolates to protect chile and tomato plants under natural vegetable nursery and artificially created pathogen-infested (Pythium and Phytophthora spp.) nursery conditions. After 21 days of sowing, chile and tomato plants were harvested and analysed for peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activities. Pseudomonas sp. strains FQP PB-3, FQA PB-3 and GRP(3 )were most effective in increasing shoot length (P > 0.05%) in both artificial and natural field sites. For example, Pseudomonas sp. FQA PB-3 treatment increased shoot length by 40% in the artificial Pythium 4746 infested nursery site in chile plants in the wet season. The bacterial treatments significantly increased the activity of peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in chile and tomato plant tissues, which are well known as indicators of an active lignification process. Thus, we conclude that treatment with potential bacterial plant growth promoting agents help plants against pathogen invasion by modulating plant peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activities.

Changes in the photosynthetic apparatus during fusarium wilt of tomato

Development of fusarium wilt was studied in 4-to 6-month-old tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum L., cv. Kunera). It was shown that the development of this disease could follow two patterns. When the wilt developed slowly (type I disease), the mycelium of Fusarium oxysporum fungus partly blocked the xylem and grew extensively within parenchyma. When the wilt developed fast (type II syndrome), the occlusion of both xylem and phloem was observed; the xylem sap circulation was suppressed and, consequently, tomato plant tissues were dehydrated. The development of type I and type II diseases led to suppression of photosynthetic activity in plants. In the case of slow wilt (type I), both light and dark stages of photosynthesis were damaged. This was evident from the decrease in the effectiveness of light harvesting and charge separations in the reaction centers of photosystem II (PSII), suppression of electron transport at the acceptor side of PSII, and the decrease in activity of Rubisco. In the case of fast wilt (type II), the Rubisco activity did not change, and photochemical activity of chloroplasts was suppressed to a smaller degree than during type I fusarium wilt. The decrease in the rate of linear electron transport in tomato leaves was mostly due to inhibition of electron flow at the acceptor side of PSII. The data obtained suggest that photosynthetic activity in tomato plants is suppressed by different mechanisms depending on the developmental pattern of fusarium wilt.

Application of Acibenzolar-S-Methyl Enhances Host Resistance in Tomato Against Ralstonia solanacearum.

The chemical elicitor acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM; Actigard 50 WG), which induces systemic acquired resistance (SAR), was investigated to determine the effect on bacterial wilt of tomato caused by Ralstonia solanacearum on moderately resistant cultivars under greenhouse and field conditions. In greenhouse experiments, ASM was applied as foliar spray and/or soil drench (3 μg/ml) before and as foliar spray (30 μg/ml) after transplanting. The chemical elicitor was ineffective in reducing bacterial wilt incidence on susceptible tomato cultivars Equinox and FL 47 when plants were inoculated with R. solanacearum. However, greenhouse studies indicated that ASM significantly enhanced resistance in cultivars with moderate resistance to bacterial wilt such as Neptune and BHN 466. It appeared that ASM-mediated resistance was partially due to prevention of internal spread of R. solanacearum toward upper stem tissues of tomato plants. The effect of ASM on moderately resistant cultivars was consistent in field experiments conducted in 2002 and 2003 in Quincy, FL, where bacterial wilt incidence was significantly reduced in ASM-treated BHN 466 (in 2002), FL 7514 (in 2003), and Neptune (both years) plants. ASM-treated BHN 466 and FL 7514 produced significantly higher tomato yield than the untreated controls. This is the first report of ASM-mediated control of bacterial wilt under field conditions, which suggests that use of this treatment for moderately resistant genotypes may be effective for control of bacterial wilt of tomato.

Chromium localization in plant tissues of Lycopersicum esculentum Mill using ICP-MS and ion microscopy (SIMS)

High-resolution imaging secondary ion mass spectrometry (HRI-SIMS) in combination with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were utilised to determine specific sites of chromium concentration in tomato plant tissues (roots, stems and leaves). The tissues were obtained from plants grown for 2 months in hydroponic conditions with Cr added in a form chromium salt (CrCl36H2O) to concentrations of 25 and 50 mg/L. The chemical fixation procedure used permit to localize only insoluble or strongly bound Cr components in tomato plant tissue. In this work no quantitative SIMS analysis was made. HRISIMS analysis revealed that the transport of chromium is restricted to the vascular system of roots, stems and leaves. No Cr was detected in epidermis, palisade parenchyma and spongy parenchyma cells of the leaves. The SIMS-300 spectra obtained from the tissues confirm the HRI-SIMS observations. The roots, and especially walls of xylem vessels, were determined as the principal site of chromium accumulation in tomato plants. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.