Skip Navigation



JXB Advance Access published online on January 10, 2005
Journal of Experimental Botany, doi:10.1093/jxb/eri079
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
56/413/865    most recent
eri079v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Scarpari, L. M.
Right arrow Articles by Pereira, G. A. G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Scarpari, L. M.
Right arrow Articles by Pereira, G. A. G.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Scarpari, L. M.
Right arrow Articles by Pereira, G. A. G.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Journal of Experimental Botany © Society for Experimental Biology 2005; all rights reserved
Received July 17, 2004
Accepted November 9, 2004

RESEARCH PAPER

Biochemical changes during the development of witches' broom: the most important disease of cocoa in Brazil caused by Crinipellis perniciosa

L. M. Scarpari 1, L. W. Meinhardt 1, P. Mazzafera 2, A. W. V. Pomella 3, M. A. Schiavinato 2, J. C. M. Cascardo 4, and G. A. G. Pereira 1*

1 Departamento de Genética e Evolução, IB/UNICAMP, CP 6109, 13083-970, Campinas-SP, Brazil
2 Departamento de Fisiologia Vegetal, IB/UNICAMP, CP 6109, 13083-970, Campinas-SP, Brazil
3 Almirante Cacau Agrícola, CP 55, Itajuípe, BA, Brazil
4 DCB, UESC, Ilhéus, BA, Brazil

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
G. A. G. Pereira, E-mail: goncalo{at}unicamp.br


  Abstract

Witches' broom disease (WBD) is caused by the hemibiotrophic basidiomycete fungus Crinipellis perniciosa, which is one of the most important diseases of cocoa in the western hemisphere. In this study, the contents of soluble sugars, amino acids, alkaloids, ethylene, phenolics, tannins, flavonoids, pigments, malondialdehyde (MDA), glycerol, and fatty acids were analysed in cocoa (Theobroma cacao) shoots during the infection and development of WBD. Alterations were observed in the content of soluble sugars (sucrose, glucose, and fructose), asparagine and alkaloids (caffeine and theobromine), ethylene, and tannins. Ethylene and tannins increased prior to symptom development and declined with the death of the infected tissues. Furthermore, MDA and glycerol concentrations were higher in infected tissue than in the controls, while fatty acid composition changed in the infected tissues. Chlorophylls a and b were lower throughout the development of the disease while carotenoids and xanthophylls dropped in the infected tissue by the time of symptom development. These results show co-ordinated biochemical alterations in the infected tissues, indicating major stress responses with the production of ethylene. Ethylene levels are hypothesized to play a key role in broom development. Some of the other biochemical alterations are directly associated with ethylene synthesis and may be important for the modification of its effect on the infected tissues.

Keywords: Asparagine; basidiomycete; biotrophic; ethylene; oxidative stress; saprotrophic; tannins.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 ANN BOT (LOND)Home page
A. S. Gesteira, F. Micheli, N. Carels, A. C. Da Silva, K. P. Gramacho, I. Schuster, J. N. Macedo, G. A. G. Pereira, and J. C. M. Cascardo
Comparative Analysis of Expressed Genes from Cacao Meristems Infected by Moniliophthora perniciosa
Ann. Bot., July 1, 2007; 100(1): 129 - 140.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.