Vascular coating: a barrier to colonization by the pathogen in Verticillium wilt of tomato

Abstract

Massive infusion of conidia of Verticillium albo-atrum Reinke & Berthier induced synchronous secretion of vascular coating in the petiolar xylem vessels of resistant and susceptible tomato near-isolines. More coating formed earlier in resistant than in susceptible plants. In the susceptible plants secretion was delayed in colonized trapping site vessels, but initiated in surrounding uncolonized ones. Controls were infused with water. Samples were quantified by light microscope assay techniques at 18, 48, and 120 h postinoculation for the following parameters: (i) delayed coating effect, (ii) overall coating capacity, and (iii) ability of fungus to "escape" laterally from trapping site vessels. The results showed that susceptibility to Verticillium was absolutely correlated with the presence of the delayed coating effect in the plant and increased ability of the fungus to spread laterally. Treatment of inoculated resistant plants with an inhibitor of coating secretion resulted in conversion to the susceptible phenotype. The progeny of a genetic backcross for the dominant (Ve) and recessive (ve) alleles at the Ve locus (Velve × velve) were assayed for the same parameters as well as for disease resistance based on symptom expression. The results confirmed the previous observations and suggested that in tomato the delayed phenotype is recessive. The data strongly supports two hypotheses: (i) coating forms a barrier against fungal penetration and (ii) the timing of the coating response in trapping site vessels results, directly or indirectly, from expression of the Ve gene.