The Arabidopsis genes RPW8.1 and RPW8.2 confer induced resistance to powdery mildew diseases in tobacco.
Plant disease resistance (R) gene products recognize pathogen avirulence (Avr) gene products and induce defense responses. It is not known if an R gene can function in different plant families, however. The Arabidopsis thaliana R genes RPW8.1 and RPW8.2 confer resistance to the powdery mildew pathogens Erysiphe orontii, E. cichoracearum, and Oidium lycopersici, which also infect plants from other families. We produced transgenic Nicotiana tabacum, N. benthamiana, and Lycopersicon esculentum plants containing RPW8.1 and RPW8.2. Transgenic N. tabacum plants had increased resistance to E. orontii and O. lycopersici, transgenic N. benthamiana plants had increased resistance to E. cichoracearum, but transgenic L. esculentum plants remained susceptible to these pathogens. The defense responses induced in transgenic N. tabacum and N. benthamiana were similar to those mediated by RPW8.1 and RPW8.2 in Arabidopsis. Apparently, RPW8.1 and RPW8.2 could be used to control powdery mildew diseases of plants from other families.
School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom.
Shunyuan
S
Xiao
Piyavadee
P
Charoenwattana
Lucy
L
Holcombe
John G
JG
Turner
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009181:Mycoses / Q000517:prevention & control; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; C418462:RPW8.1 protein, Arabidopsis; C418463:RPW8.2 protein, Arabidopsis