Ethylene biosynthesis in Botrytis cinerea

Véronique Chagué, Yigal Elad, Radwan Barakat, Paul Tudzynski, Amir Sharon*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

62 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ethylene is often released during plant pathogenesis. Enhanced ethylene biosynthesis by the attacked plant, and formation of ethylene by the attacking pathogen may be involved. We defined the biosynthetic pathway of ethylene in the pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea, and characterized the conditions that affect ethylene production in vitro. During the first 48 h of culture the fungus uses methionine to produce α-keto γ-methylthiobutyric acid (KMBA) and secretes it to the medium. In darkness, KMBA accumulates in the medium. In light KMBA is photo-oxidized and ethylene is released. The photo-oxidation reaction is spontaneous and does not involve any enzymatic activity. Low levels of ethylene are produced in darkness between 48 and 96 h of culture. Adding peroxidase to dark-grown cultures induced ethylene formation. The results suggest that formation and secretion of KMBA by B. cinerea may affect ethylene levels during plant infection.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)143-149
Number of pages7
JournalFEMS Microbiology Ecology
Volume40
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2002

Funding

FundersFunder number
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft German–Israeli–Palestinian Cooperation TrilateralTu 50/9-2

    Keywords

    • Botrytis cinerea
    • Ethylene
    • Oxidation
    • α-Keto γ-methylthiobutyric acid

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