Role of Light and Malate in the Decreased Sensitivity of cms-T Cytoplasm Maize Leaves to Bipolaris maydis Race T Toxin

Abstract

Leaf segments from Texas male sterile (cms-T) cytoplasm maize isolines exposed to light (50 μM s-1 m-2) for 8 h or more before or after being infiltrated with the Bipolaris maydis race T toxin (T-toxin) leaked significantly less electrolytes when immersed in distilled water (DW) for 24 to 48 h than did dark-treated leaf segments. No comparable effect of light on toxin-induced electrolyte leakage was observed with normal (N) cytoplasm isolines. Toxin-treated cms-T leaf segments incubated in DW for three consecutive 12-h periods of alternating light and dark showed significantly greater electrolyte leakage than leaf segments incubated in continuous light for 36 h and significantly less leakage than segments incubated in continuous dark for 36 h.Exposure of cms-T, but not N, cytoplasm leaves to 25 or 50 μM malic acid decreased their sensitivity to T-toxin in the dark to a level similar to that observed when leaves were incubated in the light without malic acid. The potency of T-toxin appeared to be unaffected by its exposure to light. The loss of electrolytes from T-toxin-treated cms-T cytoplasm leaf segments was at approximately the level seen with light or malate when 25 μM H2O2 was added to the DW bathing solution. Evaluation of the data points to the possibility that H2O2 might be involved with the altered sensitivity of cms-T cytoplasm leaves to T-toxin caused by either light or malate.