Bacterial induction of the accumulation of phaseollin,pisatin and rishitin and their antibacterial activity

Bean hypocotyls, pea pods and tomato fruits were tested for phaseollin, pisatin and rishitin production when challenged with the phytopathogenic bacteriaErwinia carotovora, Pseudomonas phaseolicola, P. pisi andP. solanacearum, and their isolated extracellular polysaccharides. All bacteria induced phytoalexin accumulation, whereas only phaseollin and pisatin, but not rishitin, were elicited by EPS. The inhibitory effect of these three phytoalexins on bacterial growth was studied in liquid medium; whereas phaseollin and pisatin strongly inhibited growth, only a slight inhibitory effect resulted from the presence of rishitin in the medium.Samenvatting Bonehypocotylen, erwtepeulen en tomatevruchten werden onderzocht op hun vermogen tot vorming van respectievelijk faseolline, pisatine en rishitine, na inoculatie met de fytopathogene bacteriënErwinia carotovora, Pseudomonas phaseolicola, P. pisi enP. solanacearum en na behandeling met oplossingen van hun extracellulaire polysacchariden (EPS). Alle bacteriesoorten induceerden fytoalexinevorming, terwijl hun EPS wel faseolline- en pisatine-, maar geen rishitinevorming induceerden. Faseolline en pisatine remden de groei van de bacteriën in vloeibaar medium sterk; rishitine daarentegen had slechts een geringe groeiremming tengevolge.