Acuities into tolerance mechanisms via different bioassay during Brassicaceae-Alternaria brassicicola interaction and its impact on yield

PLoS One. 2020 Dec 1;15(12):e0242545. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242545. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Heavy losses by dark leaf spot disease in oilseed Brassica have incited research towards identifying sources of genetic tolerance against causal pathogen, Alternaria brassicicola. Several morpho-molecular parameters were evaluated to test the performance of field mustard and rapeseed genotypes under artificial inoculation with this pathogen. During Brassica-Alternaria interaction, physio-biochemical defense response was witnessed in tolerant genotypes. Two tolerant genotypes (one for field mustard and one for rapeseed), i.e., EC250407 and EC1494 were identified. However, necrotic lesions were more prominent in susceptible genotypes with minimum chlorophyll (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll) and carotenoids contents. Contrary to photosynthetic pigments, increase in total soluble protein (TSP) contents was observed with disease progression in susceptible genotypes. Tolerant genotypes of field mustard and rapeseed displayed remarkable increase in the activities of redox enzyme in infected leaves with least yield loss (6.47% and 5.74%) and disease severity index (DSI) of 2.9 and 2.1, respectively. However, yield/plant showed close association with other morpho-yield parameters, photosynthetic pigments and redox enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD)) activities except silique length and TSP. Based on the results of morpho-biochemical analyses, redox enzymes and morphological parameters; their interplay is proposed to determine the tolerance outcome of the Brassica-A. brassicicola interaction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alternaria / pathogenicity*
  • Antioxidants / metabolism
  • Brassica napus / genetics*
  • Brassica napus / growth & development
  • Brassica rapa / genetics*
  • Brassicaceae / genetics*
  • Brassicaceae / growth & development
  • Brassicaceae / parasitology
  • Carotenoids
  • Catalase / genetics
  • Chlorophyll / genetics
  • Chlorophyll A / genetics
  • Disease Resistance / genetics
  • Genotype
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Photosynthesis
  • Plant Diseases / genetics
  • Plant Diseases / parasitology
  • Superoxide Dismutase / genetics

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Chlorophyll
  • Carotenoids
  • chlorophyll b
  • Catalase
  • Superoxide Dismutase
  • Chlorophyll A

Supplementary concepts

  • Alternaria brassicicola

Grants and funding

Authors would like to thank Higher Education Commission of Pakistan for funding of current research with project number 20-4843/NRPU. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.