REACTION OF Coffea arabica SEEDLINGS TO COLONIZATION BY WILD Colletotrichum gloeosporioides AND TRANSFORMED WITH gfp.

Defense reactions of coffee trees in response to invasion by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) wild (I2) and transformed with the green fluorescent protein gene gfp (I2-T) were studied in this research to identify defense reactions of coffee tree seedlings in response to invasion by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides using wild isolates and those transformed with the gfp gene by observing the biochemical changes developed by the plants and to check the difference in the pathogen behavior after transformation. The activity of the guaiacol peroxidase (POX) enzyme was evaluated in both types of seedlings obtained, with and without symptoms (MOPCS and MOPSS), respectively. The inoculation of the different isolates (I2 and I2-T) induced the activity of the enzyme, showing higher rates than those observed in the control treatment, demonstrating that there was a possible recognition of the pathogen. Regarding the activity of the enzyme polyphenoloxidase (PPO), similar behavior was observed between the control and the isolates studied at different exposure times. The highest peak in the activity of the enzymes studied occurred at 6 and 24 hours after inoculation with I2. It was observed that the time the plants were exposed to the pathogen increased the levels of total soluble phenols.