Analysis of the interaction between citrus and Altermaria alternata tangerine pathotype

Author(s)

Rodrigo Makowiecky Stuart

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia
• Defense date: 2011-08-23

Examining board members

Marcos Antonio Machado; Celso Eduardo Benedetti; Alessandra Alves de Souza; Juliana Freitas Astúa; Carlos Alberto Labate

• Advisor: Marines Bastianel; Marcos Antonio Machado

Abstract

The tangerine pathotype of Alternaria alternata produces the host-specific ACT-toxin that affects mandarins and their hybrids and causes the disease known as Alternaria brown spot (ABS). ACT-toxin causes necrosis in susceptible plants, and the disease affects twigs, young leaves and fruits. The symptoms include brown to black necrotic spots that are surrounded by a yellow halo. Sweet oranges were considered resistant to the disease since ABS symptoms have never been reported in the field. It was demonstrated that an ACT-toxin-producing strain of A. alternata is able to penetrate and colonize Pera sweet orange leaves asymptomatically without losing its ability to cause necrosis on susceptible genotypes. Light microscopy, inoculation and recovery of A. alternata from sweet orange leaves followed by subsequent cross-inoculation in susceptible leaves of Murcott tangor and PCR detection of the fungus in sweet orange symptomless leaves collected in the field confirmed that Pera sweet orange may act as an asymptomatic host for the pathogen. The analysis of genes (RT-qPCR) and proteins (2DE) expressed during fungal infection demonstrated that different signaling pathways were activated in citrus plants in response to A. alternata. During resistance, plants respond activating ethylene and jasmonic acid signaling pathways which are typically involved in plant defense against necrotrophic pathogens. Apparently the production of ethylene is also required during susceptibility. Genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis appear to be induced during infection and symptoms development. During asymptomatic infection, citrus plants activate genes and proteins associated to phenylpropanoids biosynthesis, indicating their possible role in sweet orange plants response to the disease (AU)