Effects of Salicylate on Virus-Infected Tobacco Plants

Salicylate watered onto the soil of tobacco plants in pots reduced the antigen accumulation and local lesion growth of tobacco necrosis virus mechanically inoculated on the leaves. It also retarded the growth of the necrotic centres of lesions and, in parallel, inhibited ethylene production from infected leaves. However, the therapeutic index of salicylate was very small and the chemical had to be applied in advance of, or at the same time as virus inoculation to give good levels of resistance. The number of lesions and their rate of appearance were not affected by salicylate. In addition, it did not induce resistance against multiplication, systemic spread or symptom severity in tobacco plants inoculated with a necrotic strain of potato virus Y. These findings suggest that salicylate is not likely to prove useful as polyvalent chemotherapeutic agent.     

Endogenous Methyl Salicylate in Pathogen-Inoculated Tobacco Plants

The tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cultivar Xanthi-nc (genotype NN) produces high levels of salicylic acid (SA) after inoculation with the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Gaseous methyl salicylate (MeSA), a major volatile produced in TMV-inoculated tobacco plants, was recently shown to be an airborne defense signal. Using an assay developed to measure the MeSA present in tissue, we have shown that in TMV-inoculated tobacco plants the level of MeSA increases dramatically, paralleling increases in SA. MeSA accumulation was also observed in upper, noninoculated leaves. In TMV-inoculated tobacco shifted from 32 to 24°C, the MeSA concentration increased from nondetectable levels to 2318 ng/g fresh weight 12 h after the temperature shift, but subsequently decreased with the onset of the hypersensitive response. Similar results were observed in plants inoculated with Pseudomonas syringae pathovar phaseolicola, in which MeSA levels were highest just before the hypersensitive response-induced tissue desiccation. Transgenic NahG plants unable to accumulate SA also did not accumulate MeSA after TMV inoculation, and did not show increased resistance to TMV following MeSA treatment. Based on the spatial and temporal kinetics of its accumulation, we conclude that tissue MeSA may play a role similar to that of volatile MeSA in the pathogen-induced defense response.     

Systemic Acquired Resistance Induced in Tobacco Plants by Localized Virus Infection Does Not Operate Against Challenging Viruses That Infect Systemically

Localized infections produced by tobacco necrosis virus (TNV) or tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) in White Burley tobacco induced a systemic acquired resistance in upper, uninoculated leaves. This resistance was effective against challenge infection by TNV or ToMV but not by potato virus Y, necrotic strain (PVYⁿ), tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) or tobacco rattle virus (TRV), viruses giving systemic infections. Systemic acquired resistance against TNV or ToMV was expressed as a reduction in lesion size but not in viral antigen content of the resulting necrotic local lesions. The acquisition of resistance was concurrent with an increased capacity of the resistant leaves to convert 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid into ethylene. Systemic acquired resistance was ineffective to contrast or minimize in whatever way the systemic challenge infection produced by PVY^N, TMV or TRV. Severity of symptoms and virus multiplication did not differ in resistant leaves from controls. This result does not allow any optimistic promise on possible application of the systemic acquired resistance against severe viral diseases of crops.     

Induced Resistance in Hypersensitive Tobacco Against Tobacco Mosaic Virus by Injection of Intercellular Fluid from Tobacco Plants with Systemic Acquired Resistance

Acquired resistance in hypersensitive tobacco plants against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) was induced by components occurring in the intercellular fluid (IV) obtained from virus-infected plants or by plant cell wall components. Induced resistance could be transmitted through seed to the progeny. Lesion size and number were reduced significantly when the progeny was tested by TMV-inoculation. IV was extracted from the upper uninoculated leaves of four times TMV-inoculated Nicotiana tabacum cv. ‘Xanthi’ nc plants. Injection of IV from induction-inoculated plants (SAR-IV) into leaves of healthy plants followed by TMV-infection reduced lesion size significantly. A concentration of 5 × 10^?7 g SAR-IV/ml was still active. IV from healthy plants was inactive. The IV's were partly purified by gel filtration on a Sephadex G-50 column. Some fractions were active in inducing resistance as expressed in reduction of lesion size. Fractions of control-IV were inactive. It is still unknown whether the active substances in SAR-IV are in fact cell wall fragments acting as regulatory molecules in disease resistance.     

PTLF-PTAG-IR对转基因烟草开花的抑制效应

PTLF(LEAFY同源基因)和PTAG(AGAMOUS同源基因)是杨树中控制花发育的重要基因,为了解RNA干涉同时抑制PTLF和PTAG对花发育的影响,本研究采用根癌农杆菌(Agrobacterium tumefaciens)介导法将35S::PTLF-PTAG-IR导入烟草(Nicotiana tabacum)。经PCR检测获得了15株阳性转化株系,进一步的Southern分析证实PTLF-PTAG-IR基因已整合到烟草基因组中。荧光定量分析结果显示,转基因烟草内源NFL(LEAFY同源基因)和NAG1(AGAMOUS同源基因)的表达量均低于野生型。对开花时间调查的结果表明:与野生型烟草相比,53.3%的转基因株系开花受到完全的抑制,26.7%的转基因株系开花时间平均推迟34.3d,仅20%的转基因株系与野生型在同一时期开花。另外,对转基因烟草花器官的观察发现花瓣形态,雄蕊着生方式、数目等方面发生变异,这些研究结果表明过量表达35S::PTLF-PTAG-IR对烟草花发育起到抑制作用,本研究将为利用转基因手段获得不育材料提供参考。     

植物病毒及其卫星RNA在寄主体内的移动和系统分布

植物病毒与动物病毒有多方面的不同,主要包 括:大多数植物病毒的感染需要微伤口(少数靠内 吞作用;包膜病毒靠融合方式),而动物病毒的感染 则需要受体。在植物病毒进入细胞或从一个细胞扩 散到周围未被感染的细胞时都会遇到一些障碍,如 细胞壁和细胞质膜。到目前为止,尚未在植物细胞 中发现有病毒受体参与侵染的证据。植物病毒需要 藉由运动蛋白(MP)进行胞间移动,动物病毒则 无。植物病毒常包被数个颗粒,动物病毒一般只包 被一个颗粒,而昆虫病毒NPV则有多个包埋型。 植物病毒出现卫星RNA的频率高,动物病毒则频 率低。     

植物病毒及其卫星RNA在寄主体内的移动和系统分布

植物病毒与动物病毒有多方面的不同,主要包括:大多数植物病毒的感染需要微伤口(少数靠内吞作用;包膜病毒靠融合方式),而动物病毒的感染则需要受体.在植物病毒进入细胞或从一个细胞扩散到周围未被感染的细胞时都会遇到一些障碍,如细胞壁和细胞质膜.到目前为止,尚未在植物细胞中发现有病毒受体参与侵染的证据.     

Isolation of Viruses by Electro-Extraction of Infected Plants

The isolation of viruses from infected plant material by a process termed electro-extraction appeared to be a convenient and simple method of obtaining viruses in a fair state of purity. The method has the advantage over the conventional methods of virus purification that the infected plant tissue is not disintegrated and that organic solvents such as chloroform and butanol are avoided. The procedure used was demonstrated on the extraction of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) from infected tobacco and turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV) from Chinese cabbage plants. To obtain the virus it was found advisable to freeze and thaw the plants prior to extraction.     

The Systemic Infection by Tobacco Mosaic Virus of Tobacco Plants Coutaining the N Gene at Temperatures Below 28°C

Tobacco plants containing the N-gene are occasionally systemically infected with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) at tempreratures below 28°C, but contain low concentrations of virus: they often fail to set seed, and can outlive healthy control plants. Infection is thus similar to that induced when N-gene tobacco plants are grafted onto systemically infected tobacco lacking the N-gene. Shoots from systemically infected N-gene plants can induce systemic infection in other graft-inoculated N-gene plants. Stem sections of N-gene tobacco plants act as good conduits for TMV between plants lacking the N-gene, and girdling experiments suggest that virus movement probably occurs in the phloern.     

Consistent Effects of Disturbance and Forest Edges on the Invasion of a Continental Rain Forest by Alien Plants

Continental tropical forests are thought to be resistant to alien plant invasion due to a lack of disturbance, or low propagule pressure from introduced species. We assessed the importance of disturbance and edge effects by surveying areas of submontane and lowland forest of Amani Nature Reserve in the East Usambara mountains, Tanzania. These areas are in the vicinity of Amani Botanic Garden (ABG)—a propagule source for many alien plant species. We surveyed three edges in the vicinity of the ABG plantations, using plots interspersed along multiple 250 m transects. Survey plots were either in secondary or seminatural forest, representing a difference in past disturbance). Alien plant species richness and abundance declined with increasing distance from forest edges, indicating that edge effects were important. In addition, the effect of distance on richness and abundance of alien species as adults was much smaller in seminatural than secondary forest, emphasizing that invasion of seminatural forest is less likely to occur. Abundance and occurrence of individual species showed broadly similar declines with increasing distance from the forest edge, and lower abundance in seminatural compared to secondary forest. Alien species were dominant in 15 percent of plots surveyed. As 28 percent of the Amani nature reserve forest is within 250 m of an edge, the importance of disturbance and edges could make a potentially large proportion of the forest vulnerable to alien species invasion.     

3. Isolation of Viruses by Electro-Extraction of Infected Plants

ABSTRACT

The isolation of viruses from infected plant material by a process termed electro-extraction appeared to be a convenient and simple method of obtaining viruses in a fair state of purity. The method has the advantage over the conventional methods of virus purification that the infected plant tissue is not disintegrated and that organic solvents such as chloroform and butanol are avoided. The procedure used was demonstrated on the extraction of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) from infected tobacco and turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV) from Chinese cabbage plants. To obtain the virus it was found advisable to freeze and thaw the plants prior to extraction.     

病毒在植物体内的运转

病毒能否引致植物发病,取决于病毒侵入植物后能否运转到植物的其它部分.一般认为病毒是通过由生物介体或机械磨擦造成的机械损伤而侵入植物细胞的.从初始侵染的细胞开始,大多数病毒在植物体内有两种运转方式:在薄壁细胞间进行的缓慢的短距离运转;在输导组织间进行的快速的长距离运转.80年代中期认识到病毒的体内运转需要其基因产物(运动蛋白,movement protem,MP)的参与,证实了烟草花叶病毒(TMV)的30kD蛋白即为TMV的MP[1,2].之后有关病毒MP及对病毒如何在植物体内进行运转的研究取得很大的进展.有关这方面的综述文章有Hull R、Atabekov等、Lucas等和Carrington等[3-6]的.本文主要综述近五年来的研究进展,但为了其完整性,也包含了一些上述综述的主要有关内容.     

Male Sterile Tobacco Plants Obtained by Genetical-Engineering

Chimaeric TA29-barnase gene was obtained by fusing tobacco anther-specific promoter TA29, barnase gene and NOS terminator and was inserted into a plant expression yector containing bromoxynil-resistant bxn gene and then introduced into tobacco plants. Some transgenic tobacco plants were resistant to 1.0 × 10-3 mol/L bromoxynil. At about 26℃, all of the 9 transgenic plants were male fertile; However, at 20℃, 7 out of 11 transgenic plants were male sterile.     

Feeding of Whitefly on Tobacco Decreases Aphid Performance via Increased Salicylate Signaling

Background

The feeding of Bemisia tabaci nymphs trigger the SA pathway in some plant species. A previous study showed that B. tabaci nymphs induced defense against aphids (Myzus persicae) in tobacco. However, the mechanism underlying this defense response is not well understood.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Here, the effect of activating the SA signaling pathway in tobacco plants through B. tabaci nymph infestation on subsequent M. persicae colonization is investigated. Performance assays showed that B. tabaci nymphs pre-infestation significantly reduced M. persicae survival and fecundity systemically in wild-type (WT) but not salicylate-deficient (NahG) plants compared with respective control. However, pre-infestation had no obvious local effects on subsequent M. persicae in either WT or NahG tobacco. SA quantification results indicated that the highest accumulation of SA was induced by B. tabaci nymphs in WT plants after 15 days of infestation. These levels were 8.45- and 6.14-fold higher in the local and systemic leaves, respectively, than in controls. Meanwhile, no significant changes of SA levels were detected in NahG plants. Further, biochemical analysis of defense enzymes polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), β-1,3-glucanase, and chitinase demonstrated that B. tabaci nymph infestation increased these enzymes’ activity locally and systemically in WT plants, and there was more chitinase and β-1, 3-glucanase activity systemically than locally, which was opposite to the changing trends of PPO. However, B. tabaci nymph infestation caused no obvious increase in enzyme activity in any NahG plants except POD.

Conclusions/Significance

In conclusion, these results underscore the important role that induction of the SA signaling pathway by B. tabaci nymphs plays in defeating aphids. It also indicates that the activity of β-1, 3-glucanase and chitinase may be positively correlated with resistance to aphids.     

The Effect of Systemic Griseofulvin Pre-Treatment on Invasion of Bracken Prothalli by Botrytis cinerea

Griseofulvin pre-treatment of bracken (Pteridium aquilinum)prothalli reduces their susceptibility to invasion by Botrytiscinerea. The number of infection pegs successfully penetratingcell walls is reduced and the size of lesions, where penetrationis achieved, is much reduced. This is partly attributed to reductionin fungal growth-rate by free griseofulvin, but there is alsoa change in host cell-wall reaction to infection. The generalappearance of lesions in griseofulvin-treated prothalli is similarto that of lesions developing on naturally resistant clonesof prothalli. Griseofulvin treatment has no effect on the susceptibilityof prothalli to invasion by Pytkium debaryamtm.     

Sequences of Tobacco Rattle Viruses from Potato

The RNA2 of the tobacco rattle virus (TRV) isolate 'Rostock' (TRV-R), and the coat protein gene (CP) of TRV isolate 'Mirow' (TRV-M) were sequenced. Both were isolated from potato. Sequence analysis revealed a 5' noncoding-region (NCR) and a CP gene, which are among the shortest of any tobravirus RNA2 sequenced so far. Downstream of the CP open reading frame (ORF) there was an ORF for a 8 k protein, that is probably a truncated 9 k protein, followed by an ORF for a 16 k protein and the 3' NCR. The 16 k protein and the 3' NCR showed a considerable sequence identity with the 3' end of TRV RNA1 and RNA2 from other TRV isolates. The high identity in the amino acid sequences of the CPs from TRV-R and TRV-M as well as other TRV isolates suggested that they are related to the TCM group of the genus Tobravirus and belong serologically to the RQ-serotype. This could be confirmed using a rabbit antiserum that was prepared against recombinant TRV-R CP expressed in bacteria. This serum was found to be suitable for differentiation of TRV-isolates.