In living plant cells several interdependent biochemical reactions are taking place concurrently or in a well defined succession to sustain life. Disturbance of any of these metabolic reactions causes disruption of the physiological processes leading to the development of disease. The harmful substances produced by the pathogenic microorganisms which are responsible for such disturbances are called toxins. Toxins are effective in very low concentrations. Some are unstable or react quickly and are bound tightly to specific sites within the plant cell.
Some toxins act as general protoplasmic poisons and affect many species of plant of different families termed as non specific toxins, other are toxic to only a few plant species or varieties and are harmless to others. Many toxins exists in multiple forms that have different potency.
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IMPORTANCES OF MICROBIAL TOXINS IN PLANT DISEASES.pptx
1. SUBRATA RAHA, Ph. D
PROFESSOR & H.O.D IN BOTANY, S.K.B.U. PURULIA,
W.B
MICROBIAL TOXINS IN
PLANT DISEASES
2. Three broad classes of toxins :
PHYTOTOXIN ( Luke & Gracens, 1972) : Any compound produced by
micro-organisms which is toxic to plant is termed as Phytotoxin
Rudolph (1973) preferred to use Phytotoxic compounds]. They are non
specific, incite few or none of the symptoms that are incited by the
pathogen. In most cases shows no relation between toxin production and
pathogenecity. Lycomarasmine & Alternaric Acid.
VIVOTOXIN (Dimond & Waggoner, 1953) : Microbial toxin produced in
the infected host by the pathogen and/or its host which functions in the
production of disease but is not itself the initial inciting agent. Fusaric
Acid.
PATHOTOXIN (Wheeler & Luke, 1963) :It is a host-specific toxin which
includes all the typical disease symptoms. The production of toxin is
correlated with pathogenecity. These toxins are restricted only to a
particular host species of the microbial pathogen and It damage the tissues
of susceptible host but have little or no effect on resistant cultivars.
Piricularin.
3. Modes of Action
Toxin Vs Enzyme
Actions on plasma membrane and tonoplast (Pathotoxins)
Inhibition of Enzyme activity either by chelate formation or
chemical reaction.
Toxin may form complex with some essential metabolite (due to
structural homology), thus put it out of its normal biochemical
activities. Plant suffer sdue to deficiency of metabolite.
Toxins are different from enzymes in that they do not
attack the structural integrity of the tissue but affect the
metabolism in a subtle manner. They act directly on the
protoplast of the cells.
The toxin of Clostridium welchii (Clostridium perfringens),
lecithinase, even though an enzyme, is a toxin because it
disrupts cell membrane. Such enzymes are toxins.
4. TOXINS
HOST- SPECIFIC
TOXIN
NON- SPECIFIC
TOXIN
A Brief Idea About Different toxins
In living plant cells several interdependent biochemical reactions are taking
place concurrently or in a well defined succession to sustain life. Disturbance of
any of these metabolic reactions causes disruption of the physiological
processes leading to the development of disease. The harmful substances
produced by the pathogenic microorganisms which are responsible for such
disturbances are called toxins. Toxins are effective in very low concentrations.
Some are unstable or react quickly and are bound tightly to specific sites within
the plant cell.
Some toxins act as general protoplasmic poisons and affect many species of
plant of different families termed as non specific toxins, other are toxic to only a
few plant species or varieties and are harmless to others. Many toxins exists in
multiple forms that have different potency.
5. NON - SPECIFIC TOXINS
Tabtoxin / Wild fire toxin (Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tabaci):
Cause wild fire of Tobacco, also occurring on Bean, Soybean. Cause necrotic spots on
leaves, surrounded by yellow halo.
Toxin is a Dipeptide (Threonine & Tabtoxinine), on hydrolysis produce tabtoxinine
which inactivate the enzyme Glutamine synthetase, which lowers glutamine level and
leads to the accumulation of toxic ammonia. The latter destroys the thylakoid
membrane of chloroplast, causing chlorosis and eventually necrosis. May affect RNA
metabolism and hamper protein synthesis in host (Lovrekovich et al., 1964).
6. Phaseolotoxin (Pseudomonas syringae pv.phaseolicola):
Cause Halo blight of Bean and other legumes. The principal symptom produced by
Phaseolotoxin - producing strains is a chlorotic zone or halo around the necrotic
infection site. This protoxin is a modified Ornithine – Alanine – Arginine tripeptide
carrying a phosphosulfinyl group. After the excretion of tripeptide from bacterial cell
into the plant cell, plant enzyme cleaves the peptide bonds and release alanine, arginine
and phosphosulfinyl ornithine. The last one is the functional moiety of the toxin. Toxin
binds with Ornithine Carbomoyl Transferase which catalyses conversion of ornithine
to citrulline which is the precursor of arginine. Thus the toxin causes accumulation of
ornithine and depleted level of citrulline & arginine.
The toxin seems to also inhibit the pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis, reduce activity
of ribosome, interfere with lipid synthesis and changes the permeability of the
membrane.
7. Tentoxin ( Alternaria alternata, Previously A.tenuis):
Cause spots and chlorosis of many species. The toxin is a Cyclic tetrapeptide. Binds and
inactivates a protein involved in energy transfer into chloroplasts and also inhibit light-
dependent phosphorylation of ADP to ATP. It also inactivates the activity of Polyphenol
oxidase, enzyme involved in host resistance.
Pyricularia toxin (Pyricularia oryzae)
Cause Blast disease. α-Picolinic acid &
Piricularin cause characteristic symptoms, now
a third substance has isolated - pyriculol.
Picolinic acid affects catalase, chelates iron in
respiratory enzymes. Piricularin inhibit
respiration at high concentration. Inhibits the
enzymes catalase, Peroxidase, Cytochrome
oxidase and Ascorbic acid oxidase.
8. Cercosporin (Cercospora personata)
Leaf spot and blight of many crop (Zinnia, Corn).
It is a photosensitizing perylenequinone absorb light energy and converted to activated
state and then reacts with molecular oxygen and forms activated oxygen . The latter
react wit protein, lipid, nucleic acid of plant cell & damage or destroy host cell
membrane.
9. Lycomarasmine - Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici.
Tomato wilt etc. Lycomarasmine is an amino acid derivative (A Dipeptide). Chelate
iron, disturb permeability of cells. Inactivate growth factor Strepogenin.
Fusaric acid is a picolinic acid derivative.
Produced by Fusarium moniliformae, F. oxysporum etc.
Adversely affect membrane, respiration, phosphorylation.
Inhibit activity of poly phenol oxidase, porphyrin oxidase etc.
10. NAME OF THE TOXIN PATHOGEN & DISEASE
FUMARIC ACID Rhizopus sp., Almond hull rot disease.
OXALIC ACID Sclerotium sp. & Sclerotinia sp. cause several diseases.
Cryphonectria parasitica cause Chestnut blight.
ALTERNARIC ACID,
ALTERNARIOL, ZINNIOL
Alternaria sp. leaf spot disease of many plants.
CERATOULMIN Ophiostoma ulmi. Dutch elm disease.
FUSICOCCIN Fusicoccum amygdali. (Phomopsis amygdali) Twig
blight of Almond & peach.
OPHIOBOLINS Cochliobolus sp. diseases of grain crops.
CORNATINE P. Syringae pv. atropurpurea infect grasses and
Soybean.
SYRINGOMYCIN P. Syringae pv. syringae. Leaf spot of many plants.
SYRINGOTOXIN P. Syringae pv. syringae in Citrus plants.
TAGETITOXIN P. Syringae pv. tagetis in Marigold leaf spot.
THAXTOMINS Streptomyces sp. cause root and tuber rots.
OTHER NONHOST-SPECIFIC TOXINS (ISOLATED FROM CULTURE)
11. Almond hull rot disease caused by Rhizopus sp.
Peanut stem blight Sclerotium formation
Sclerotinia stem blight of
Soybean
southern blight (Sclerotium
rolfsii ) on tobacco
12. Early blight by
Alternaria solani
Brown leaf spot by
Alternaria alternata
Early blight, Tomato Conidia of Alternaria
DUTCH ELM DISEASE
Hylurgopinus rufipes
Ophiostoma ulmi
13. Fusicoccum amygdali. (Phomopsis amygdali) Twig blight of Almond & peach.
HOST - SPECIFIC TOXINS
Host specific toxins are produced by certain fungi like Cochliobolus, Alternaria,
Periconia, Phyllosticta, Corynespora and Hypoxylon. Although certain bacterial
polysaccharides from Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas have been reported to be
host specific.
14. HV Toxin ( Victorin) - Helminthosporium victoriae on Oat – Chlorinated
partially Cyclic Pentapeptide - Damage plama membrane binds to several
proteins, disrupt chlororoplast and other , loss of electrolyte, increases respiration,
decrease growth and protein synthesis.
The possible site of action seems to be the Glycine decarboxylate complex which is
a key component of the Photorespiratory cycle. Evidences prove that Victorin
functions as an elicitor that induces resistance response that include features of
hypersensitive response and lead to programmed cell death
15. HC Toxin – Helminthosporium carbonum (Bipolaris zeicola) – Toxin is a
cyclic tetrapeptide, (L-Aoe - D-prolyl - L-alanyl - D-alanyl) where Aoe stands for
2-amino-8-oxo-9,10-epoxidecanoic acid. Causes northern leaf spot and ear rot
disease in Corn. Toxic only on specific maize lines. Resistant maize lines have a
gene (Hm1) coding for an enzyme called HC toxin reductase that reduces and
thereby detoxifies the toxin. Susceptible maize lack this gene.– Cyclic Polypeptide
– less strong than HV toxin – affect nitrate uptake and reduction.
HS Toxin - Helminthosporium sacchari – Blast of
Sugercane – Glycoside (helminthosporiside) – Disrupt
plasma membrane, chloroplast lamellae.
16. PC Toxin (Periconin) – Periconia cercinata causes Milo disease of Sorghum
vulgare var subglabrescens - Polypeptide – Interfere membrane function, rapid
loss of electrolyte, decrease ability to incorporate amino acids, increase respiration.
AK Toxin – Alternaria kikuchiana cause black spot of Pear – Not chemically
identified – Damage cell membrane.
AM Toxin – Alternaria mali cause leaf blotch of Apple – Cyclic depsipeptide
(A depsipeptide is a peptide in which one or more of its amide, -C(O)NHR-, groups
are replaced by the corresponding ester, -C(O)OR,)– Action like AK toxin, also
induces rapid loss of chlorophyll.
17. T Toxin – Cochliobolus (Helminthosporium) heterostrophus race T toxin
[Bipolaris maydis]
Cause Southern Corn leaf blight. Long linear Polyketides with 35-45 C (Large
class of diverse compounds that are characterized by more than two carbonyl
groups connected by single intervening carbon atoms, derived from repeated
condensation of acetyl coenzyme A). Attack only corn that have Texas male sterile
(Tms) cytoplasm which is inherited maternally. Corn with normal cytoplasm is
resistant to fungus & toxin. T toxin acts specifically on mitochondria, thus inhibit
ATP synthesis. Toxin binds with a receptor protein (URF 13) located on inner
mitochondrial membrane of sensitive plant.