J.M. Berner

Inhibition of Xanthine Oxidase Activity Results in the Inhibition of Russian Wheat Aphid-Induced Defense Enzymes

The role of xanthine oxidase (XO) in the defense response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) against the Russian wheat aphid (RWA) (Diuraphis noxia) was studied. Xanthine oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of hypoxanthine to xanthine to uric acid, and oxygen radicals that are formed as a by-product at both of these oxidation steps may participate in plant defense reactions. A resistant wheat cultivar (Tugela DN), and a close isogenic susceptible cultivar (Tugela), were infested with 20–30 aphids per plant before inhibiting xanthine oxidase by adding allopurinol as a soil drench to the resistant plants. Increases in H2O2 content were detected early after infestation in the resistant wheat, and the downstream defense related responses, chitinase and peroxidase activities, were selectively induced by RWA infestation. These downstream defense responses were substantially inhibited in allopurinol treated-resistant wheat, presumably as a response to inhibition of XO, and superoxide dismutase (SOD). We conclude that the production of active oxygen species through the XO system plays an important role in the induction of defense reactions in wheat against the RWA.

Oxidation of fatty acids are associated with Russian wheat aphid resistance in wheat

The oxidation of fatty acids, which is responsible for changes in lipid composition, were investigated in a comparative study using the Russian wheat aphid (RWA) (Diuraphis noxia), infested and un-infested resistant (Tugela DN) and close isogenic-susceptible (Tugela) wheat cultivars. LOX, which catalyzes the first step of the lipoxygenase pathway, was selectively induced in the infested resistant wheat. A pathogen-induced oxygenase protein was also found to be induced during the wheat-RWA interaction. The involvement of oxylipins in the RWA resistance response was confirmed by inhibition studies using indomethacin, which is known to inhibit prostanoid biosynthesis in mammalian tissue. Downstream defense reactions, e.g. LOX and POD activities, were inhibited upon indomethacin treatment. These results emphasize the importance of fatty acid oxidation as an essential process for the establishment of a successful defense response in wheat to the RWA.