Ethylene and Carbon Monoxide Production by Septoria musiva

Abstract

An investigation into the mechanism by which Septoria musiva causes the premature defoliation of cottonwood trees was undertaken. Gas-chromatograpic analysis of the atmosphere overlying the original culture indicated that this fungus produced significant quantities of ethylene and carbon monoxide. Subcultures failed to produce either gas on a variety of commercially available laboratory media but did produce ethylene on media prepared from cottonwood leaves. The addition of ashed leaves or metallic iron, zinc, or boron to a mineral-salts medium containing methionine and glucose resulted in the production of both carbon monoxide and ethylene. Inoculation of S. musiva onto cottonwood cuttings resulted in the same manifestations of disease as observed in nature. The organism was reisolated from these diseased plants. Additional isolates from diseased cottonwood leaves were all found to produce carbon monoxide and ethylene. Sektoria musiva produces ethylene and/or CO on plant tissues in amounts sufficient to cause premature defoliation of Populus deltoides.

Citation

Brown-Skrobot, S.; Brown, L. R.; Filer, T. H. 1984. Ethylene and Carbon Monoxide Production by Septoria musiva. Developments in Industrial Microbiology 25:749-755.