Hydrogen peroxide protects pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) against pepper golden mosaic geminivirus (PepGMV) infections

Publication date: Available online 29 November 2018Source: Physiological and Molecular Plant PathologyAuthor(s): Laura Mejía-Teniente, Blanca A. Durán-Flores, Irineo Torres-Pacheco, Mario Martín González-Chavira, Rafael F. Rivera-Bustamante, Ana A. Feregrino-Perez, Iza Pérez-Ramírez, Nuria E. Rocha-Guzmán, Rosalía Reynoso-Camacho, Ramón G. Guevara-GonzálezAbstractHydrogen peroxide is an important signal molecule in plant defense against biotic and abiotic stress. Pepper golden mosaic virus (PepGMV) is a whitefly-transmitted geminivirus causing significant yield and quality losses in pepper and other horticultural crops in Mexico. Several pesticides have been used trying to control whiteflies and thus, PepGMV disease in host crops. The present work examined the effect of exogenous application of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on inducing resistance to PepGMV infection in pepper plants. Experiments were carried out under greenhouse conditions aiming to evaluate phenotypical, biochemical and molecular features in these pepper plants. Hydrogen peroxide at 6, 14 and 18 mM induced tolerance to PepGMV either by absence of symptoms as well as by attenuating and/or delaying them. The protection observed was directly dependent on the concentration of H2O2 sprayed on plants. Moreover, PepGMV DNA levels were inversely proportional to the protection level. Enzymatic and gene expression profiles related with plant defense were induced in protected, in comparison to susceptible contro...
Source: Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology - Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research