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Contribution of Rosellinia necatrix toxins to avocado white root rot

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Abstract

By transversely cutting infected avocado plant stems and using PCR techniques on avocado leaves, two experiments were carried out to determine whether Rosellinia necatrix can invade avocado vascular tissues. We were unable to detect the pathogen in either stems or leaves in either experiment, so we concluded that R. necatrix does not invade the vascular system of the plant. Additionally, the toxins produced by the pathogen were also studied to determine whether such toxins could contribute to the wilting and death of avocado plants infected by R. necatrix, having an effect on avocado leaves, where they can hinder the photosynthetic process. First, we isolated and identified the toxins cytochalasin E and rosnecatrone from filtrates of six R. necatrix isolates. Second, we tried to detect cytochalasin E in sap and leaves from infected avocado plants, and it was not detected at the minimum level of 50 μg/kg in leaves or 25 μg/kg on sap. Finally, we observed changes in fluorescence emitted by the avocado leaf surface (to detect photosynthetic efficiency) after inoculating avocado plants with this toxin. Fluorescence was higher in the leaves of plants immersed in toxin solution after 4 and 8 days, but not after longer periods of time. In this work, we demonstrated that although R. necatrix is not a fungus that invades the vascular system, its toxins are probably involved in the wilting and death of infected avocado plants, decreasing the efficiency of photosynthesis.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the “Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa” Junta de Andalucía grant (Grupo PAIDI AGR-235) and by the Plan Nacional I + D + I from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (AGL 2011-030354-CO2-02). In addition, this research was co-financed by FEDER funds (EU).

The authors thank Prof. Anthony J.S. Whalley (Liverpool John Moores University, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, UK) and Prof. Dereck Maitland (Bradford University, UK) for their support to the first author in learning the techniques of toxin purification.

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  1. Departamento de Protección de Cultivos, Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible, C.S.I.C. C/Alameda del Obispo s/n, 14004, Córdoba, Spain

    I. Arjona-Girona, T. Ariza-Fernández & C. J. López-Herrera

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  1. I. Arjona-Girona
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  2. T. Ariza-Fernández
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  3. C. J. López-Herrera
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Correspondence to C. J. López-Herrera.

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Arjona-Girona, I., Ariza-Fernández, T. & López-Herrera, C.J. Contribution of Rosellinia necatrix toxins to avocado white root rot. Eur J Plant Pathol 148, 109–117 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-016-1074-8

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