Nitric-oxide-mediated cell death is triggered by chitosan in Fusarium eumartii spores.
BACKGROUND
The genus Fusarium comprises a heterogeneous group of fungi important for agriculture. Fusarium solani f. sp. eumartii (F. eumartii), historically considered to be a fungal pathogen of potato, has also been associated with tomato disease. Currently, chitosan and its derivatives have been receiving more attention as environmentally friendly antimicrobial compounds in sustainable practices. The aim of the present work was to characterize downstream events associated with the mode of action of chitosan, including nitrosative reactive species, in order to identify new biomarkers of its cytotoxic action.


RESULTS
Data indicated that chitosan-mediated nitric oxide (NO) production might lead to conidial death, concomitant with the strong reduction in fungal pathogenicity in tomato plants. Following chitosan applications, a notably dose-dependent reduction in conidial viability was demonstrated in F. eumartii. Thereafter, the infectivity of chitosan-treated spores was tested by a bioassay using tomato seedlings.


CONCLUSIONS
All these data highlight NO valuable properties as a quantitative and qualitative biomarker of cytotoxic action of chitosan in conidial cells. In addition, these findings place the chitosan assayed here as a fungicide with a high potential of application in sustainable horticultural practices.
Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, UE CONICET-UNMDP, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
María Cecilia
MC
Terrile
Andrea Yamila
AY
Mansilla
Liliana
L
Albertengo
María Susana
MS
Rodríguez
Claudia Anahí
CA
Casalongué
D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D048271:Chitosan / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005670:Fusarium / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000382:microbiology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D005659:Fungicides, Industrial; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D048271:Chitosan
Fusarium solani f. sp. eumartii; chitosan; fungicide; nitric oxide