Abstract:
Viral infections pose a serious threat to crop production in Kazakhstan
and worldwide, negatively affecting the growth, development, and productivity
of agricultural crops. Under conditions of multiple stresses, such as drought,
extreme temperatures, soil salinity, and pathogen damage, viruses aggravate
physiological changes in plants, disrupting their metabolic pathways and
reducing resistance to adverse factors. Particular attention is paid to the effect
of viral infections on the biosynthesis of anthocyanins, important compounds
involved in plant defense mechanisms. In this work, it was shown that infection
with tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) caused more damage to the middle
leaves of the model plant compared to other leaves, and the upper leaves
stopped developing. In addition, necrosis was observed in the middle leaves,
which led to further programmed cell destruction (PCD). Moreover, infection
with the TBSV virus led to a significant increase in hydrogen peroxide levels and
accumulation of anthocyanins in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. These changes
indicate a disturbance in the redox balance and activation of defense reactions
in response to viral infection. The findings highlight the importance of studying
the interaction of viruses with plants to develop strategies to improve crop
resistance to viral infections and other stress factors.
