Control of plant disease by perturbation of fungal polyamine metabolism

Abstract

Walters, D, R, and Mackintosh, C, A, 1997, Control of plant disease by perturbation of fungal polyamine metabolism, -Physiol, Plant, 100: 689-695,The diamine putrescine and the polyamines spermidine and spermine are ubiquitous in nature and are essential for cel! proliferation. Since polyamine biosynthesis in plants can start from either omithine or arginine, while fangal polyamine biosynthesis appears to utilise only the omithine route, it was suggested that specific inhibition of fungal polyamine biosynthesis should be lethal. Indeed, inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis, e,g, the omithine decarboxylase inhibitor a-diOuoromethylomithine, have been shown to inhibit fungai growth in vitro and to control fungal infections on a variety of plants under glasshouse and field conditions. It is now known tbat polyamine analogues can perturb polyamine metabolism leading to powerful antiproliferative effects in cancer ceils. This paper reviews the results of a reseai'ch programme focused on the synthesis and evaluation of putrescine analogues as novel fungicides, A number of aliphatic, alicyclie and cyclic diamines have been shown lo possess considerable fungicidal activity, but although many of these compounds perturb polyamine metabolism in fungal ceils, such changes ai'e not considered sufficient to account for the observed antifungal effects. More recent work on spermidine analogues is also descdbed.

Polyamine metabolism during the germination of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum ascospores and its relation with host infection

“…Because PUT biosynthesis in plants can occur by two alternative pathways involving ODC and ADC, while fungal PA metabolism utilizes only the ODC route, PA biosynthesis has been proposed as a target for the action of fungicides (Walters & Mackintosh, 1997). Indeed, DFMO has been shown to control a range of economically important fungal pathogens on various hosts (Walters, 1995).…”

“…In this way, PA biosynthesis inhibitors are a valuable tool for the study of PA metabolism in fungi as well as in other organisms (Walters, 1995). On the other hand, PA biosynthesis inhibition has been proposed as a strategy for the control of plant diseases caused by fungi (Rajam & Galston, 1985;Walters & Mackintosh, 1997). Many studies in this field made use of α -difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitor of ODC, and 1,4-diamine-2-butanone (DAB), a competitive inhibitor of this enzyme.…”

“…The SPD synthase inhibitor cyclohexylamine (CHA) and the AdoMetDC inhibitor methylglyoxal bis -[guanyl hydrazone] (MGBG), have also been used to test the effect of perturbations of PA metabolism on fungal development (West & Walters, 1988;. Several novel PA analogues have also been used for this purpose, and their potential as fungicides has been evaluated in some cases (Walters, 1995;Walters & Mackintosh, 1997).…”

Stagonospora nodorum: cause of stagonospora nodorum blotch of wheat

“…Polyamines are positively charged molecules essential for cell growth and DNA replication and may have a role in plant–fungal interactions (Walters and Mackintosh, 1997). To determine if polyamines are host acquired or self‐synthesized, a gene encoding ornithine decarboxylase ( Odc1 ) was inactivated (Bailey et al ., 2000).…”

Short‐term polyamine response in TMV‐inoculated hypersensitive and susceptible tobacco plants

“…In several higher plants, especially in the Solanaceae, polyamines have been shown to form mono-substituted and di-substituted basic amides with hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs) ; these have been reported to be involved in the defence mechanism in several plant-pathogen interactions (Favali et al, 1997 ;Torrigiani et al, 1997 ;Walters & Mackintosh, 1997). The possibility now exists of manipulating polyamine metabolism in order to control plant diseases.…”