title: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides pelB is an important virulence factor in avocado fruit-fungus interaction.
abstract: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is an important pathogen of tropical and subtropical fruits. The C. gloeosporioides pelB gene was disrupted in the fungus via homologous recombination. Three independent isolates, GD-14, GD-23, and GD-29, did not produce or secrete pectate lyase B (PLB) and exhibited 25% lower pectate lyase (PL) and pectin lyase (PNL) activities and 15% higher polygalacturonase (PG) activity than the wild type. The PLB mutants exhibited no growth reduction on glucose, Na polypectate, or pectin as the sole carbon source at pH 3.8 or 6.0, except for a 15% reduction on pectin at pH 6.0. When pelB mutants were inoculated onto avocado fruits, however, a 36 to 45% reduction in estimated decay diameter was observed compared with the two controls, the wild type and undisrupted transformed isolate. In addition, these pelB mutants induced a significantly higher host phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity as well as the antifungal diene, which is indicative of higher host resistance. These results suggest that PLB is an important factor in the attack of C. gloeosporioides on avocado fruit, probably as a result of its virulence factor and role in the induction of host defense mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center Bet Dragan, Israel.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yakoby
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beno-Moualem
authors.forename: N T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Keen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dinoor
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pines
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prusky
mesh_terms: D020231:Colletotrichum / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D005638:Fruit / Q000201:enzymology / Q000382:microbiology*; D027421:Persea / Q000201:enzymology / Q000382:microbiology*; D010650:Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D011133:Polysaccharide-Lyases / Q000235:genetics*; D014329:Tropical Climate
chemical_list: D011133:Polysaccharide-Lyases; C074124:pectin lyase B; D010650:Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase