Effects of acetic acid on plant responses to Тomato bushy stunt virus infection

Abstract

Plant viral infections pose a serious challenge to agriculture and plant research, as they can cause significant yield losses and negatively impact plant growth. Unlike bacterial or fungal pathogens, plant viruses are not controlled by standard chemical pesticides once they have infected. As a result, researchers are increasingly interested in finding alternative ways to reduce viral infection or limit viral replication in plant tissues. One of the most promising areas of plant pathology is the study of inexpensive and environmentally friendly chemicals that can enhance plant resistance or inhibit viral infection processes. Chemicals that have generated interest in this area include organic acids. Acetic acid is an inexpensive organic acid that has been reported to promote stress adaptation and defense responses in plants. This study examined the effect of acetic acid on Nicotiana benthamiana infection with tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV). Plants were treated with acetic acid solutions (5, 10, and 20 mM) by spraying the leaves and then infected with TBSV. These findings suggest that acetic acid may serve as an effective inducer of plant defense responses and could potentially enhance resistance against pathogen infection. Plants must cope with stress-related variations, such as oxidative stress, to survive. Catalase activity, an important indicator of antioxidant defense, was analyzed by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Virus-infected plants exhibited higher catalase activity than control plants, indicating activation of antioxidant responses during infection. In contrast, treatment with 5 mM acetic acid alone reduced catalase activity. When combined with virus infection, catalase activity increased, remaining higher than that of acetic acid-treated plants but lower than that of virus-infected plants. These results suggest that acetic acid modulates oxidative stress responses associated with TBSV infection and may contribute to improved redox homeostasis and antiviral defense in N. benthamiana.