bioRxiv · 10.1101/2024.11.25.625158
Tissue-independent nature of plant susceptibility: a comparative pathogenicity study of the systemic phytopathogen Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum in eggplant and tomato seedlings through root and leaf
Abstract
Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum causes a lethal bacterial wilt disease in many plant species, posing significant economic challenges. Although tomato has been a primary model host for investigating the pathogenicity and systemic infection of this bacterium, this manuscript presents a comparative pathogenicity study between two closely related solanaceous hosts, tomato and eggplant, revealing differential host responses to the same pathogen, specifically through leaves and roots. Interestingly, eggplant seedlings exhibited a significantly higher susceptibility to cotyledon leaf inoculation than tomato seedlings. In the case of tomato, a few seedlings escaped wilting (called escapees), which was usual at a high pathogen load, unlike the case of eggplant seedlings where escapees could not be observed even at a 100-fold lower pathogen concentration. The greater susceptibility of eggplant was further demonstrated by performing both single- and double-leaf inoculations in the seedlings. Surprisingly, root inoculations resulted in a significantly lower mortality for eggplant than for tomato seedlings. The contrasting susceptibility between the two hosts regarding root and leaf regions indicates the tissue-dependent nature of susceptibility. The study underscores the value of employing multiple host species to uncover new insights into pathogen behaviour and host-pathogen interactions.
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Bhuyan, S., Jain, M., Boruah, L., Tara, T. S., Begum, S., Dutta, L., Giri, S. J., Phukan, T., Kabyashree, K., Mandal, M., Ray, S. K.. 2024-11-26. Tissue-independent nature of plant susceptibility: a comparative pathogenicity study of the systemic phytopathogen Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum in eggplant and tomato seedlings through root and leaf. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.11.25.625158
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