Comparative study on the induction of defense related enzymes in two different cultivars of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) genotypes by salicylic acid, spermine and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp ciceri

Abstract

Induction of some defense related enzymes and phenolics in roots and shoots of two different genotypes of chickpea cultivars which were susceptible (L550) and resistant (ICCV10) to wilt disease treated with salicylic acid, spermine (Spm), SA+Spm and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri was investigated. Higher levels of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), beta-1, 3-glucanase (PR-2) and phenolics were observed in roots and shoots of resistant cultivar than that of susceptible cultivar on treatment with elicitors and pathogen. However, no major changes were observed in susceptible cultivar after the treatments. beta-1, 3-glucanase is constitutively present and is further induced in roots and shoots of resistant cultivar by F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceri. No induction of beta-1, 3-glucanase was observed in susceptible cultivar. The structural changes during disease progression were observed by histochemical staining. However, the pathogen invasion was more in susceptible cultivar compared with resistant cultivar. Further, the invasion was restricted in roots of resistant cultivar treated with SA. These results suggest that induction of defense proteins and accumulation of phenolics might have contributed to restrict the invasion of F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceri, in resistant cultivar ICCV10.