Correlation between sensitivity of barley to Pyrenophora teres toxins and susceptibility to the fungus

Abstract Detached leaves of 25 barleys, ranging from highly susceptible to highly resistant to Pyrenophora teres f. teres and Pyrenophora teres f. maculata , were tested for their reaction to three phytotoxins isolated from cultures of the fungus: toxin A [ L , L - N -(2-amino-2-carboxyethyl)aspartic acid], toxin C (aspergillomarasmine A) and toxin B (anhydroaspergillomarasmine A). 0.75 m M toxin A caused mainly dark yellow chlorotic symptoms but little necrosis, whereas leaves treated with 0.25 m M toxin C developed distinct necrotic symptoms and zones of light yellow chlorosis. Toxin B is only weakly toxic, and toxin B and control solutions containing aspartic acid in the concentration of 0.75 m M did not cause any symptoms. The best differentiation between the barleys was obtained by scoring chlorosis after 120 h, and the optimal toxin concentrations for this differentiation were 0.75 m M toxin A and 0.25 m M toxin C, respectively. Results with different toxin concentrations inducing distinct variation in symptom expression indicate that the two toxins have different potencies as phytotoxins. The reaction of the barleys to toxins A and C correlated well with their reaction to infection by P. teres f. teres and P. teres f. maculata , suggesting that toxins A and C may be used to select resistant barley lines in the early stages of a breeding programme.