About Lesson
Classification based on specificity of toxins
- Host specific / Host selective toxins:
- These are the metabolic products of the pathogens which are selectively toxic only to the susceptible host of the pathogen
- Ex: Victorin, T-toxin, Phyto-alternarin, Amylovorin
- Non-specific / Non-selective toxins :
- These are the metabolic products of the pathogen, but do not have host specificity and affect the protoplasm of many unrelated plant species that are normally not infected by the pathogen.
- Ex: Ten-toxin, Tab-toxin, Fusaric acid, Piricularin, Lycomarasmin and Alternaric acid.
Differentiate host – specific and non-host specific toxins :
Host specific |
Non-host specific |
1. Selectively toxic only to susceptible host of the pathogen |
1. No host specificity and can also affect the physiology of those plants that are normally not infected by the pathogen |
2. Primary determinants of disease |
2. Secondary determinants of disease |
3. Produce all the essential symptoms of the disease |
3. Produce few or none of the symptoms of the disease |
4. Ex: Victorin, T- toxin |
4. Ex: Tentoxin, Tabtoxin |