Ethylene production in pepper (Capsicum annuum) leaves infected with Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria

Anat Ben-David*, Yoav Bashan, Yaacov Okon

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria, the causal organism of bacterial scab in pepper (Capsicum annuum) produced small amounts of ethylene when grown under low oxygen tensions in liquid culture. Ethylene was produced by bacterial scab lesion tissue in pepper, but not by bacterial speck lesion tissue in tomato caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato or by angular leaf spot lesion tissue in cucumber, caused by P. syringae pv. lachrymans. Direct correlations were found between ethylene production in diseased plants and the number of bacteria in the tissue and between the initial inoculum and leaf abscission and disease development. Young susceptible pepper leaves produced more ethylene than mature, less susceptible leaves after inoculation and the ethylene was produced mainly in the distal parts of the leaf blade around developing necrotic spots. Spraying with methionine increased ethylene production and disease severity, whereas spraying with indole acetic acid or aminooxyacetic acid reduced ethylene production, disease severity and leaf-abscission. It is suggested that the ethylene produced during bacterial scab infection contributes to the development of disease symptoms including leaf abscission.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)305-316
Number of pages12
JournalPhysiological and Molecular Plant Pathology
Volume29
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1986

Keywords

  • aminoxyacetic acid
  • AOA
  • IAA
  • indole-3-acetic acid

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