Leakage of Cell Constituents Associated with Local Lesion Formation on Nicotiana glutinosa Leaf Infected with Tobacco Mosaic virus

Abstract

The leakage of cell constituents from tobacco mosaic virus-infected N. glutinosa leaf was determined by the increase in conductivity of the leaf wash or by the loss of ³²P from the tissues which had been fed with ³²P phosphate.
The leakage occurred with the appearance of visible symptoms and the rate increased with the enlargement of the lesions. Lesions induced by transfering leaves from 30C to 22C, by heat or cold shock treatments of N. glutinosa leaves systemically infected at 30C also caused the leakage just prior to or during the appearance of visible symptoms and its rate usually decreased with the completion of necrotic lesions.
These results suggest that the leakage of cell constituents is an early host response to lesion formation in hypersensitive hosts.