Expression of a bacterial flagellin gene triggers plant immune responses and confers disease resistance in transgenic rice plants.
Flagellin is a component of bacterial flagella and acts as a proteinaceous elicitor of defence responses in organisms. Flagellin from a phytopathogenic bacterium, Acidovorax avenae strain N1141, induces immune responses in suspension-cultured rice cells. To analyse the function of flagellin in rice, we fused the N1141 flagellin gene to the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and introduced it into rice. Many of the resulting transgenic rice plants accumulated flagellin at various levels. The transgenic rice developed pale spots in the leaves. The expression of a defence-related gene for phenylalanine ammonia-lyase was induced in the transgenic plants, and H(2)O(2) production and cell death were observed in some plants with high levels of gene expression, suggesting that the flagellin triggers immune responses in the transgenic rice. Transgenic plants inoculated with Magnaporthe grisea, the causal agent of rice blast, showed enhanced resistance to blast, suggesting that the flagellin production confers disease resistance in the transgenic rice.
Takakura
Yoshimitsu
Y
Orynova K.K., 700 Higashibara Toyoda, Iwata, Shizuoka 438-0802, Japan. yoshimitsu.takakura@ims.jti.co.jp
Che
Fang-Sik
FS
Ishida
Yuji
Y
Tsutsumi
Fumiki
F
Kurotani
Ken-ichi
K
Usami
Satoru
S
Isogai
Akira
A
Imaseki
Hidemasa
H
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D042621:Comamonadaceae / Q000235:genetics; D005408:Flagellin / Q000235:genetics*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics; D015151:Immunoblotting; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D010650:Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase / Q000235:genetics; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D005408:Flagellin; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D010650:Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase