Characterization of elicitor activities of apoplastic fluids isolated from tomato lines infected with new races of Cladosporium fulvum

Apoplastic fluids were isolated from the near-isogenic lines Cf2, Cf4 and Cf5 of the tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cultivar ‘Moneymaker’ infected with a set of newCladosporium fulvum races 2.5, 2.4.11, 2.5.9, 2.4.5.11, 2.4.9.11 and 2.4.5.9.11 and a set of previously described races 2, 4, 5, 2.4., 2.4.5 and 2.4.5.9. Upon injection of the apoplastic fluids into leaves of the near-isogenic lines Cf0, Cf2, Cf4, Cf5 and Cf9 and the genotypes carrying Cf6 and Cf11 chlorosis or necrosis was observed in all plants that were resistant to the race that initially had been used to raise the apoplastic fluid, except in the genotype Cf11 when the races 4, 2.4, 2.4.5 and 2.4.5.9 from our own collection were involved. The latter races may contain virulence gene all as our collection had not yet been checked for presence of this virulence gene. Apoplastic fluids of all races induced chlorosis on the genotype carrying resistance gene Cf6, a gene which has not yet been overcome by any of the presently described races ofC. fulvum.Low pH non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that apoplastic fluids of compatible interactions with the new races 2.5.9, 2.4.9.11 and 2.4.5.9.11 carrying the virulence gene a9, like the previously described race 2.4.5.9, did not contain the necrosis-inducing peptide, while the peptide was present in all races carrying avirulence gene A9. This indicates that this race-specific elicitor is strongly associated with avirulence gene A9 and is possibly its product as has been suggested previously.