Alterations in 1,4-Benzoxazinone Levels Following Inoculation with Stem Rust in Wheat Leaves Carrying Various Alleles for Resistance and Their Possible Role as Phytoalexins in Moderately Resistant Leaves

The contents of 1,4-benzoxazinone derivatives in wheat plants infected with Puccinia graminis Pers. f. sp. tritici Ericss. & Henn, race 32, and in uninfected controls were examined in four near-isogenic lines of different infection types: Triticum aestivum L., cultivar Prelude Sr5 (highly resistant), Sr24, Sr26 (moderately resistant), and srx (susceptible). In all infection types the contents of DIMBOA -glc and HMBOA -glc decrease with time in the uninfected controls as well as in the infected plants. However, following inoculation, the synthesis of HDIBOA -glc is drastically increased in the moderately resistant cultivars. The results suggest that this fully methylated 1,4-benzoxazinone may function as a phytoalexin in this type of interaction. The benzoxazolinone MBOA which has been described as an in vitro conversion product of the benzoxazinones mentioned above is not detected in inoculated or uninoculated leaves.