Extracellular enzymes activity determining the virulence of Fusarium oxysporum causing vascular wilt in Chickpea

Abstract

The evaluation of enzymatic activity from 15 isolates of Chickpea collected from various regions of Maharashtra. The cellulolytic, hemicellulolytic, pectolytic and proteolytic enzymes produced by plant pathogens are capable of degrading major polymeric components of the host cell w    all. The pectinases are the first cell wall degrading enzymes secreted by pathogens and also virulence determinant factors. Six isolates belong to highly virulent group, three isolates to virulence group and six isolates to moderately virulent group, respectively. These isolates exhibited wide variability in wilting infection of Chickpea ranging from 86.66 to 100%. The highest extracellular enzyme activity was found in cellulase Foc-24 (67.33 mm), pectinase Foc-24 (89.00 mm), lipase Foc-04 (77.33 mm), protease Foc-24 (62.33 mm) and amylase Foc-24 (64.00 mm). The per cent disease incidence showed highly significant positive correlation with lipase, cellulase and amylase enzymes. The maximum enzyme activity profile of F. oxysporum infected wilting root tissue showed in cellulolytic Foc-24 (398.70μg of D-glucose/ml of extract), polygalacturonase Foc-07 (295.90 μg of D-glucose/ml of extract)) and pectin methyl esterase Foc-24 (0.399 A620/min) activity.