Effects of two AM fungi on phytoplasma infection in the model plant Chrysanthemum carinatum

Authors

• Simonetta Sampò Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Ambiente e della Vita, Università del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro”, Viale Teresa Michel 11, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
• Nadia Massa Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Ambiente e della Vita, Università del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro”, Viale Teresa Michel 11, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
• Umberto D’Agostino Mybasol s.r.l., spin off dell’Università del Piemonte Orientale, via Gentilini 3, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
• Domenico Bosco Dipartimento di Valorizzazione e Protezione delle Risorse Agroforestali, Università di Torino, Via Leonardo Da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco (Torino), Italy
• Cristina Marzachì CNR, Istituto di Virologia Vegetale, Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135Torino, Italy
• Graziella Berta Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Ambiente e della Vita, Università del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro”, Viale Teresa Michel 11, 15121 Alessandria, Italy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.4999

Keywords:

Phythoplasma infection, Glomus intraradices, G. mosseae, Chrysanthemum carinatum, resistance, tolerance

Abstract

Phytoplasmas are plant pathogenic bacteria, naturally transmitted by insects and confined in the phloem of the host plant, where they take up nutrients and eventually cause plant death. Their control is mainly based on insecticide treatments. The aim of this work was to study the effect of two AM fungi in modifying plant response to chrysanthemum yellows phytoplasma (CY) infection in chrysanthemum plants. Inoculation of Glomus intraradices BB-E and G. mosseae BEG12 reduced the damage caused by this plant pathogen in the aerial part of the plant, increased plant tolerance to the infection and reduced the severity of symptom expression, probably in a systemic way. Inoculation with G. mosseae did not alter CY multiplication and viability in young leaves, whilst the morphology of CY mature leaves was typical of senescent cells. Possible mechanisms involved are discussed.