<i>Moniliophthora</i> <i>perniciosa</i> , the causal agent of witches’ broom disease of cacao, interferes with cytokinin metabolism during infection of Micro‐Tom tomato and promotes symptom development

Moniliophthora perniciosa causes witches’ broom disease of cacao and inflicts symptoms suggestive hormonal imbalance. We investigated whether infection the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) model system Micro-Tom (MT) by Solanaceae (S)-biotype perniciosa, which stem swelling hypertrophic growth axillary shoots, results from changes in host cytokinin metabolism. Inoculation an MT-transgenic line that overexpresses Arabidopsis CYTOKININ OXIDASE-2 gene (35S::AtCKX2) resulted a reduction incidence diameter. RNA-sequencing analysis infected MT 35S::AtCKX2 revealed activation cytokinin-responsive marker genes when were conspicuous. The expression tRNA-ISOPENTENYL-TRANSFERASE suggests production isopentenyladenine (iP), detected mycelia grown vitro. Inoculated stems showed higher levels dihydrozeatin trans-zeatin but not iP. application benzyladenine induced similar to infection, whereas applying receptor inhibitors LGR-991 PI55 decreased symptoms. produces iP might contribute synthesis host, vascular cortex enlargement, shoot outgrowth, root biomass increase fruit locule number. This strategy may be associated with manipulation sink establishment favour fungus.