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Biosynthesis and metabolism of abscisic acid in tomato leaves infected with Botrytis cinerea

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Abstract

Two virulent strains of Botrytis cinerea Pers., one of them (Bc 6) producing abscisic acid (ABA) via 1′,4′-trans-diol-ABA in defined liquid culture, and a second strain (Bc 9) without the ability to form ABA or its fungal precursor, and two near-isogenic lines of tomato were used to study the biosynthesis and metabolism of ABA in infected isolated leaves. The tomato plants used were Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Ailsa Craig (wild type) and the ABA-deficient mutant flacca. The level of 1′,4′-trans-diol-ABA increased in Ailsa Craig and flacca leaves in a similar pattern to about 4 μg·(gDW)−1 after conidiospore infection with Bc 6, but not after infection with Bc 9. Pulse-feeding experiments showed that [214-C]-1′,4′-trans-diol-ABA was metabolised to ABA and to further plant metabolites of ABA (phaseic acid, dihydrophaseic acid and polar compounds) in both uninfected and infected leaves. Following infection, the turnover of 1′,4′-trans-diol-ABA was reduced. The level of endogenous ABA in leaves infected with the ABA-producing strain Bc 6 rose more than tenfold in Ailsa Craig and twofold in flacca, respectively. Infection of Ailsa Craig leaves with Bc 9 caused a fivefold increase in ABA, and no increase of ABA in flacca. It is concluded that at least four processes control the level of ABA in wild-type tomato leaves infected with Botrytis cinerea: stimulation of fungal ABA biosynthesis by the host; release of ABA or its precursor by the fungus; stimulation of biosynthesis of plant ABA by the fungus; inhibition of its metabolism by the fungus. Application of ABA together with fungal spores to tomato leaves caused a faster development of necrotic leaf area than spore inoculation only.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

abscisic acid

t-ABA:

2-trans-abscisic acid

DPA:

4′-dihydro abscisic acid

Me:

methylester

PA:

phaseic acid

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Allgemeine Botanik und Botanischer Garten, Universität Hamburg, Ohnhorststrasse 18, D-22609, Hamburg, Germany

    Jens Kettner & Karl Dörffling

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  1. Jens Kettner
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  2. Karl Dörffling
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Additional information

We thank Dr. Clive Cain (Glaxo GmbH, Hamburg, Germany) for his careful review of the manuscript, Dr. Irene Urbasch and Prof. Dr. Ewald Sprecher (University of Hamburg, Germany) for helpful suggestions and for providing the strains of Botrytis cinerea. This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

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Kettner, J., Dörffling, K. Biosynthesis and metabolism of abscisic acid in tomato leaves infected with Botrytis cinerea . Planta 196, 627–634 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00197324

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00197324

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