title: NmDef02, a novel antimicrobial gene isolated from Nicotiana megalosiphon confers high-level pathogen resistance under greenhouse and field conditions.
abstract: Plant defensins are small cysteine-rich peptides that inhibit the growth of a broad range of microbes. In this article, we describe NmDef02, a novel cDNA encoding a putative defensin isolated from Nicotiana megalosiphon upon inoculation with the tobacco blue mould pathogen Peronospora hyoscyami f.sp. tabacina. NmDef02 was heterologously expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris, and the purified recombinant protein was found to display antimicrobial activity in vitro against important plant pathogens. Constitutive expression of NmDef02 gene in transgenic tobacco and potato plants enhanced resistance against various plant microbial pathogens, including the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, causal agent of the economically important potato late blight disease, under greenhouse and field conditions.
authors.affiliation: Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Roxana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Portieles
authors.forename: Camilo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ayra
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Araiz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: Raisa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Osmany
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Chacón
authors.forename: Yunior
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Mayra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: Merardo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pujol
authors.forename: Gil
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Enriquez
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borroto
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trujillo
authors.forename: Bart P H J
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Thomma
authors.forename: Orlando
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Borrás-Hidalgo
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D023082:Defensins / Q000235:genetics*; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D044742:Peronospora; D010838:Phytophthora; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D023082:Defensins