Nature 187, 1048 - 1049 (17 September 1960); doi:10.1038/1871048a0

Polyphenol Oxidase Activity of Nicotiana glutinosa Leaves infected with Tobacco Mosaic Virus

MASATAKE KIKUCHI & AKIRA YAMAGUCHI

Plant Pathology Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Nagoya University, Anzyo, Japan.

WHEN local necrotic lesions appeared on the leaves of Nicotiana glutinosa L. infected with tobacco mosaic virus, but not before, the respiration-rate increased¹. The same phenomenon was observed on some other host–virus combinations which produced local necrotic lesions². In these cases, it seems that the increased rate of respiration varies with various developmental stages of the necrotic lesions, namely, with degrees of brownish discoloration of leaf tissue due to the virus infection. When the tissues of the tobacco plant are injured, the polyphenol substances are oxidized and then polymerized by polyphenol oxidase³. Therefore the polyphenol oxidase activity of leaves bearing necrotic lesions has been compared with that of healthy leaves.

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