ABSTRACT
Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) bulbs infected by Fusarium oxysporum showed the symptoms of gummosis. The purpose of this study was to clarify the hormonal regulation of gummosis and composition of gums from hyacinth bulbs. The application of ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid), an ethylene-releasing compound, at 2% (w/w, in lanolin) induced gummosis in hyacinth bulbs. Methyl jasmonate (JA-Me) at 1.5% (w/w, in lanolin) induced gummosis as well. Simultaneous application of JA-Me and ethephon further enhanced gummosis. Molecular mass distribution of hyacinth gums analyzed by gel permeation chromatography indicated that the gums were mainly homogenous polysaccharides with an average molecular weight of ca. 30kDa. Analysis of the sugar composition of the gums after hydrolysis revealed that the majority were arabinose (ca. 35%) and galactose (ca. 40%) together with small amounts of fucose, rhamnose and uronic acids (ca. 5%, respectively), suggesting that the gums are pectic arabinogalactans. These results indicate that jasmonates (JAs) interact with ethylene to stimulate sugar metabolism, producing pectic arabinogalactans, and vice versa, leading to gummosis. These findings, together with those from our previous studies in tulips (Tulipa gesneriana) and grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum), revealed that sugar metabolism and hormonal regulation relating to gummosis are different among species of bulbous plants.
Subject(s)
Hyacinthus/microbiology , Plant Diseases/microbiology , Plant Growth Regulators/pharmacology , Plant Gums/chemistry , Plant Roots/microbiology , Acetates/pharmacology , Carbohydrates/analysis , Chromatography, Ion Exchange , Cyclopentanes/pharmacology , Hyacinthus/drug effects , Molecular Weight , Organophosphorus Compounds/pharmacology , Oxylipins/pharmacology , Plant Roots/chemistry , Reference StandardsABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate the hormonal regulation of gummosis in grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) bulbs, focusing especially on the chemical composition of the gums. The application of ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid), an ethylene-releasing compound, at 1% and 2% (w/w) in lanolin as well as ethylene induced gummosis in the bulbs within several days. Methyl jasmonate (JA-Me, 0.1-2% in lanolin) alone had no effect on gummosis. However, simultaneous application of JA-Me and ethephon led to extreme stimulation of ethephon-induced gummosis. Ethephon-induced gummosis in the bulbs depended on the maturation stage of the bulbs, increasing from April to July, but decreasing from August to September. Regardless of the presence of JA-Me, the application of ethephon to the inflorescence axis of grape hyacinths did not induce gummosis. Gel permeation chromatography analysis revealed that gums were homogenous polysaccharides with an average molecular mass of ca. 8.3 kDa. Analysis of the sugar composition of the gums after hydrolysis revealed that the molar ratio of Rha:Ara:Gal:GalA:GlcA was 25:10:40:7:15. These results suggest that principal factors of gummosis as well as the chemical composition of gums differ between species of bulbous plants.
Subject(s)
Hyacinthus/metabolism , Plant Growth Regulators/pharmacology , Plant Gums/chemistry , Plant Roots/chemistry , Vitis/metabolism , Acetates/pharmacology , Chromatography, Ion Exchange , Cyclopentanes/pharmacology , Ethylenes/pharmacology , Hyacinthus/drug effects , Molecular Weight , Organophosphorus Compounds/pharmacology , Oxylipins/pharmacology , Plant Roots/drug effects , Seasons , Vitis/drug effectsABSTRACT
To understand the molecular mechanism of ovule development, a MADS box gene, HoMADS 1 , has been isolated from the ovule tissues of Hyacinthus . Sequence comparison showed that HoMADS 1 is highly homologous to both class C and D genes. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis suggests that HoMADS 1 is most likely a class D MADS box gene. RNA hybridization revealed that HoMADS 1 was exclusively expressed in the ovules. Over-expressing HoMADS 1 in transgenic Arabidopsis plants produced ectopic carpelloid structures, including ovules, indicating that HoMADS 1 is involved in the determination of carpel and ovule identities. Interestingly, during in vitro flowering, no HoMADS 1 mRNA was detected in the floral tissues at high level hormones in the media. However, HoMADS 1 mRNA accumulated in the floral tissues when the regenerated flowers were transferred to the media containing low level hormones which could induce in vitro ovule formation. Our data suggest that the induction of HoMADS 1 by plant hormones may play important roles during ovule initiation and development in the regenerated flower. Whether HoMADS 1 expression is also regulated by cytokinin and auxin during ovule development in planta remains to be investigated.
