Journal of Plant Pathology & Microbiology

Abstract

SDS-PAGE Analysis of Leaf Galls of Alstonia scholaris (L.) R. Br.

Deepika Saini and Renu Sarin

Alstonia scholaris R. Br. is an elegant evergreen tree of family Apocynaceae, generally bears leaf galls caused by an insect Pauropsylla tuberculata Crawf. In the present investigation the electrophoretic protein analysis technique was used, which revealed that some of the protein bands are varied and shown their presence and absence in gel at different stages of gall formation. The amount of total protein increased during early development and young stages of gall formation and falls down in older stages. It is due to a rapid enzymatic activity in gall tissue during early and mature stages as a response to insect interaction. Pathogens inject some elicitors and lead to the synthesis of different type of enzymes and some specific proteins at high amount in the plant. The insect switches the defense mechanism of the plant which results increased amount of some specific proteins in gall visible as dark bands in the gel. The degeneration of proteins during older stages shows the exit of insect and death of gall tissue.