Induction of systemic resistance in different varieties of Solanum tuberosum by pure and crude elicitor treatment.

A 10 kD elicitor protein (infestin) produced by Phytopthora infestans was purified and its efficacy for induction of systemic resistance in resistant and susceptible varieties of Solanum tuberosum was studied. Culture filtrates from P. infestans with and without purified elicitor (infestin) were used as elicitors to understand the effect of purified elicitor (infestin) on development of systemic resistance. Culture filtrate and purified elicitor (infestin) were found to induce hypersensitive reaction on the leaves of resistant varieties, but not on susceptible varieties after 48 h. Culture filtrate devoid of purified elicitor (infestin) did not induce any necrotic spots even on resistant variety. Purified elicitor (infestin) was found to induce glucose oxidase, NADPH oxidase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, catalase and peroxidase enzymes in resistant S. tuberosum plants, however the induction of these enzymes was low in susceptible varieties. The oxidative enzymes were found to induce earlier than antioxidative enzymes and there was negative correlation between these two groups of enzymes. Levels of salicylic acid, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), -1, 3 glucanase and chitinase activities were also found higher in resistant than in susceptible varieties. It was observed that purified elicitor (infestin) was superior to crude culture filtrate, but was not capable of inducing systemic resistance in susceptible varieties.

Induction of Defense Related Enzymes and Pathogenesis Related Proteins in Pseudomonas fluorescens-Treated Chickpea in Response to Infection by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri

Pseudomonas fluorescens 1-94 induced systemic resistance in chickpea against Fusarium wilt of chickpea caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri by the synthesis and accumulation of phenolic compounds, phenylalanine ammonia lyase(PAL) and pathogenesis related(PR) proteins(chitinase, beta-1,3-glucanase and peroxidase). Time-course accumulation of these enzymes in chickpea plants inoculated with P. fluorescens was significantly(LSD, P=0.05) higher than control. Maximum activities of PR-proteins were recorded at 3 days after inoculation in all induced plants; thereafter, the activity decreased progressively. Five PR peroxidases detected in induced chickpea plants. Molecular mass of these purified peroxidases was 20, 29, 43, 66 and 97 kDa. Purified peroxidases showed antifungal activity against plant pathogenic fungi.