No abstract

Molybdenum takes an active part in several physiological processes necessary for the growth and development of plants and other domains of life. Molybdenum participates in numerous biochemical reactions and lack of this metal may affect the total amount of proteins in plants. More than fifty Mo-containing enzymes are currently known, although most of them were found in bacteria. Plants contain Mo-containing enzymes such as nitrate reductase, sulfite oxidase, aldehyde oxidase, xanthine dehydrogenase, and mitochondrial amidoxime reductase. Tungsten is another heavy metal, which due to highly similar physico-chemical properties with Molybdenum may be incorporated instead of the latest as enzyme cofactor, leading to its inactivation. In this article, preliminary results from a pilot experiment are shown, demonstrating the effect of Molybdenum and Tungsten treatment on Nicotiana benthamiana plants infected with Tomato Bushy Stunt Virus, which refers to viruses parasitizing economically important crops. This virus infects more than 100 species of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants from more than 20 different families. Infection of plants with a viral infection occurs through mechanical damage to the root system; virions in this case can be transmitted through soil or water. It was found that Molybdenum treatment may lead to mitigation of otherwise fatal for the host viral infection.