TRACE GAS FACILITY: Is fermentation a defence mechanism?

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 02.0087

Key words (English)

Acetaldehyde; ethanol; fermentation; photoacoustic laser; plant defence.

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: HPRI-CT-1999-00029

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 4.2 Agriculture and agroindustry

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Coordinator: Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen (NL)

Abstract (English)

In most living organism, fermentation is known as an anaerobic alternative energy producer process under oxygen deficiency conditions. In the past few years, the discovery of aerobic fermentation in plant brought new insights in this field. In our view, fermentation could be a more versatile pathway, activated in response to various biotic or abiotic injuries or at different developmental stages of the plant (Tadege et al. 1999).
One of the hypotheses we are currently investigating is whether fermentation could be part of the natural defence system used by plants following pathogen attack. We are monitoring the fate of fermentation pathway during the infection process of wild type plants with Peronospora parasitica at molecular (gene induction) and biochemical level (volatile production).
Using the photoacoustic laser technique, we measured trace amount of ethanol and acetaldehyde on line during the 7 days of the infection process.
Although we were able to detect gas emission in the very first hours following plant inoculation, mock-inoculated plants also emitted ethanol and acetaldehyde. The experimental set-up probably produces partial hypoxic condition either at root or leaf level.
Gas production stabilized to a plateau phase at a level slightly higher than the background level within 6 to 10 hours after inoculation. Infected and control plant were indiscernible.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 02.0087