Amilolytic and pectinolytic activities of 45 isolates of Alternaria solani from distinct hosts were investigated. Enzyme secretion was evaluated in glucose-free medium amended with pectin or starch as carbon source. All isolates degraded pectin. Only 17 isolates had amilolytic activity, and nine of these isolates were isolated from potato. Only AS18 had good amilolytic and pectinolytic activities. The role of pectinases produced by A. solani in its aggressiveness on tomato was examined. Five isolates showing substantial differences regarding the ability to produce pectic enzymes were selected, two from eggplant, two from tomato plants, and one from potato plant. Four isolates (AS6, AS7, AS12, and AS26) were inoculated on detached leaflets of tomato and pectinolytic activity was correlated with lesion size (r = 0.963; P = 0.087). Pathogenicity test with five isolates (AS6, AS7, AS12, AS25, and AS26) was conducted in tomato plants. Variation in the number of lesions per cm² of leaf area was not detected, but isolates varied in aggressiveness. Pectinolytic activity and aggressiveness were correlated (r = 0.916; P = 0.042). In general, pectinases-producing isolates caused larger lesions on tomato plants. It is possible that enzymatic profile differences are associated with the host origin. The results contribute to cumulative evidences of host specificity in populations of A. solani.
Early blight; enzymes; amylases; pectinases; pathogenic variability; tomato