Gene expression during oosporogenesis in heterothallic and homothallic Phytophthora.
A large-scale screen for genes induced during sexual development was performed in the heterothallic oomycete Phytophthora infestans, the potato blight agent. Of 15,644 unigenes on an Affymetrix chip, 87 were induced >10-fold during mating, with 28 induced >100-fold. This was validated in independent matings using RNA blots and RT-PCR. Only 44 genes resembled sequences in GenBank. These encoded regulators such as protein kinases, protein phosphatases, and transcription factors, plus enzymes with metabolic, transport, or cell-cycle activities. Several genes were induced during both mating and asexual sporogenesis, suggesting crosstalk between those pathways. In the homothallic species P. phaseoli, 20% of the 87 genes were expressed at higher levels during conditions conducive to oosporogenesis than non-conducive conditions, while the rest were at similar levels. Many of the latter exhibited higher mRNA concentrations in P. phaseoli than in any non-mating culture of P. infestans, suggesting that part of the sexual pathway is active constitutively in homothallics.
Prakob
Waraporn
W
Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
Judelson
Howard S
HS
D020418:Algal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010838:Phytophthora / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D048030:RNA, Algal / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013170:Spores / Q000254:growth & development; D015854:Up-Regulation
D020418:Algal Proteins; D048030:RNA, Algal