Effect of Salicylic Acid and Phenylserine on the Hypersensitive Reaction of Tobacco to Tobacco Mosaic Virus

Injection of leaves of tobacco (Nicotiana tahacum cv. ‘Xanthi’ nc) with salicylic acid (SA) or phenylsene (PS) had an effect on the local lesion development caused by tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), depending upon the concentration used and the time interval between injection and challenge inoculation. Maximum reduction in lesion size was obtained with 0.75 mM SA or with 8 mM PS. Concentrations higher than 1 mM SA or 25 mM PS damaged the leaf tissue, PS being far less toxic than SA. The leaves responded rapidly to injection with SA or PS. A time interval of only 1 h between injection and TMV inoculation reduced the lesion size significantly. Isolated tobacco cell walls incubated with SA yielded carbohydrate fractions capable of reducing lesion size significantly after injection. Cell walls incubated without SA or with PS did not yield active carbohydrate fractions.