FEMS Microbiology Ecology (2002) 40, 143-149

Véronique Chagué, Yigal Elad, Radwan Barakat, Paul Tudzynski and Amir Sharon (2002)
Ethylene biosynthesis in Botrytis cinerea
FEMS Microbiology Ecology 40 (2), 143-149
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 alpha-keto gamma-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.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Yigal Elad, Radwan Barakat

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Botrytis cinerea