Low temperature stress ethylene and not Fusarium, might be responsible for mango malformation

• Published in: Plant physiology and biochemistry Vol. 69; pp. 34 - 38
• Main Authors: Ansari, Mohammad Wahid, Bains, Gurdeep, Shukla, Alok, Pant, Ramesh Chandra, Tuteja, Narendra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Elsevier Masson SAS 01.08.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: abnormal development; Biological and medical sciences; cold stress; Colony growth; Conidia germination; cultivars; ethylene; Ethylenes - metabolism; etiology; flowering; Flowers - growth & development; Flowers - metabolism; Flowers - microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fusarium; Fusarium - pathogenicity; Fusarium mangiferae; germination; Low temperature stress; Mangifera - growth & development; Mangifera - metabolism; Mangifera - microbiology; Mangifera indica; Mango malformation; mangoes; Plant physiology and development; Stress ethylene; Temperature; toxicity; Fusarium mangiferae; Low temperature stress; ACC; CDA; (NH4)SO4; d; Mango malformation; Stress ethylene; HgCl2; PDA; Colony growth; FW; β-CAS; Conidia germination; MIP; CLA; TP; pM; Thermal stress; Germination; Ethylene; Mango; Stress; Fungi; Plant physiology; Fusarium; Fungi Imperfecti; Low temperature; Conidia
• ISSN: 0981-9428; 1873-2690
• DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2013.04.019

Malformation is arguably the most crucial disease of mango (Mangifera indica L.). The etiology of the disease has not yet been successfully resolved. Here, we quantified the endogenous ethylene content in malformed and healthy vegetative and floral tissues of mango cultivars viz., Amrapali, Bombay green, Chausa, Dushehri and Mallika. Levels of ethylene were higher in malformed vegetative and floral tissues as compared with that of healthy tissues at both prior to full bloom and full bloom stages. The study also revealed that isolates of Fusarium dissected from mango exhibited most morphological similarities to the accepted standard features of Fusarium mangiferae. The growth dynamic of F. mangiferae were evaluated with varying temperatures ranging from 5 to 40 °C. Temperatures of 25 °C, 30 °C and 35 °C were better suited for growth of F. mangiferae than temperatures of 20 °C or 40 °C. Conidium germination of F. mangiferae was maximum at 30 °C and minimum at <15 °C. World-wide occurrence of mango malformation showed its most severity at 10–15 °C temperature range. Stress ethylene level is higher in diseased tissue at the same temperature range where growth of Fusaria is found to be completely restricted. The present study provides direct evidence that low temperature induced ‘stress ethylene’ is potentially responsible for the disease while on the other hand Fusarium role in the disease either through toxic principle or malformation inducing principle is not conclusive at <15 °C and is rather out of question. •Levels of ethylene were higher in malformed vegetative and floral tissues of mango.•Fusarium sp. isolated from mango was morphologically similar to F. mangiferae.•Mycelial growth and conidia germination of F. mangiferae were restricted at <15 °C.•Low temperature stress ethylene and not Fusarium is responsible for mango malformation.