Potato virus X induces DNA damage in leaf nuclei of the host plant Nicotiana tabacum L. var. xanthi

• DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0448-z
• Publication Date: 2014-09-10T23:17:08Z
• Authors: N. Cerovska; H. Plchova; P. Vaculik; T. Moravec; T. Gichner
• Keywords: 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; comet assay; QH301-705.5; single cell gel electrophoresis; somatic mutations; Biology (General); QK900-989; Plant ecology; Comet assay; ethyl methanesulphonate; 3. Good health

We employed the comet assay (single cell gel electrophoresis) to evaluate induced DNA damage in nuclei isolated from tobacco leaves (Nicotiana tabacum var. xanthi) inoculated with Potato virus X (PVX). The highest DNA damage, expressed by the tail moment value, was observed in the inoculated leaves and decreased in the 1st to 4th systemic leaves. DNA damage increased with the time after the inoculation (from day 3 to day 21) and was higher in nuclei isolated from a part of the leaf at the petiole compared to nuclei isolated from the leaf tip. A Pearson moment correlation (r = 0.94) between the induced DNA damage and the PVX titres expressed by ELISA absorbance values was observed. The PVX infection did not induce a significant increase in the rate of somatic mutations evaluated by appearance of dark green, yellow, and double green/yellow sectors on the heterozygous pale green leaves of N. tabacum var. xanthi.