VIEW ARTICLE

Physiology and Biochemistry

An Evaluation of Pea Histones as Disease Resistance Factors. Lee A. Hadwiger, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163; David C. Loschke(2) and John R. Teasdale(3). (2)(3)Research Assistants, Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163, (3)Present address: Dept. of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706. Phytopathology 67:755-758. Accepted for publication 23 November 1976. Copyright © 1977 The American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121. All rights reserved.. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-67-755.

We propose that basic pea proteins rich in lysine and arginine, primarily the histones LAK (slightly lysine-rich), KAS (moderately lysine-rich), and ARE (arginine-rich) are potentially more important than pisatin in the pea tissue’s resistance to plant pathogenic fungi. These histones inhibit the growth of Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli and F. solani f. sp. pisi in vitro at concentrations which approximate cellular levels. Synthetic basic proteins such as poly-L-lysine and basic proteins from other organisms also inhibit the growth of F. solani f. sp. phaseoli, as well as that of other Fusarium spp. The presence of such inhibitory compounds may prevent the proliferation of F. solani in nonhost tissue.