Jasmonic acid priming to enhance glutathione-s-transferase mediated mancozeb detoxification in Vicia faba L. and Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek

Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) are a group of enzymes essential for detoxification processes in living organisms, stress tolerance, and cell signalling in plants. This study investigates the effect of Jasmonic acid (JA) on GST activity and gene expression in Vicia faba L. (V. faba) and Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek (V. radiata) exposed to Mancozeb (MNZ) toxicity. V. faba and V. radiata seeds were exposed to different levels of MNZ and primed with JA. The GST activity and gene expression were assessed using spectrophotometry and RT-qPCR, respectively. The results demonstrated that MNZ exposure significantly increased GST activity up to 90 ppm in V. faba and 70 ppm in V. radiata, with JA priming further enhancing this activity. Specifically, 1mM JA resulted in a notable upregulation of GST activity in both plants. Additionally, JA priming significantly increased the relative gene expression of the GST gene, with a 7.9fold increase observed in V. radiata at 50 ppm MNZ and a 9.7-fold increase in V. faba at 90 ppm MNZ. These findings suggest that JA enhances the plant defence mechanisms by upregulating GST activity and gene expression, thereby mitigating MNZ-induced oxidative stress. This study highlights the potential of JA as a protective agent against pesticide toxicity in agricultural settings, offering insights into sustainable farming practices. The complex interplay between JA signalling pathways and pesticides requires further investigation to understand their combined effects, with implications for crop resilience and global food security.