Over-expression of a protein kinase gene enhances the defense of tobacco against Rhizoctonia solani.
To identify Nicotiana tabacum genes involved in resistance and susceptibility to Rhizoctonia solani, suppression subtractive hybridization was used to generate a cDNA library from transcripts that are differentially expressed during a compatible and incompatible interaction. This allowed the isolation of a protein kinase cDNA that was down-regulated during a compatible and up-regulated during an incompatible interaction. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of this gene confirmed the differential expression patterns between the compatible and incompatible interactions. Over-expression of this gene in tobacco enhanced the resistance to damping-off produced by an aggressive R. solani strain. Furthermore, silencing of this protein kinase gene reduced the resistance to a non-aggressive R. solani strain. A set of reported tobacco-resistant genes were also evaluated in tobacco plants over-expressing and silencing the protein kinase cDNA. Several genes previously associated with resistance in tobacco, like manganese superoxide dismutase, Hsr203J, chitinases and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, were up-regulated in tobacco plants over-expressing the protein kinase cDNA. Potentially, the protein kinase gene could be used to engineer resistance to R. solani in tobacco cultivars susceptible to this important pathogen.
Chacón
Osmany
O
Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, PO Box 6162, Havana, 10600, Cuba.
González
Marleny
M
López
Yunior
Y
Portieles
Roxana
R
Pujol
Merardo
M
González
Ernesto
E
Schoonbeek
Henk-Jan
HJ
Métraux
Jean-Pierre
JP
Borrás-Hidalgo
Orlando
O
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D018533:Biomass; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012232:Rhizoctonia / Q000502:physiology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D011494:Protein Kinases