title: Movement of protein and macromolecules between host plants and the parasitic weed Phelipanche aegyptiaca Pers.
abstract: Little is known about the translocation of proteins and other macromolecules from a host plant to the parasitic weed Phelipanche spp. Long-distance movement of proteins between host and parasite was explored using transgenic tomato plants expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) in their companion cells. We further used fluorescent probes of differing molecular weights to trace vascular continuity between the host plant and the parasite. Accumulation of GFP was observed in the central vascular bundle of leaves and in the root phloem of transgenic tomato plants expressing GFP under the regulation of AtSUC2 promoter. When transgenic tomato plants expressing GFP were parasitized with P. aegyptiaca, extensive GFP was translocated from the host phloem to the parasite phloem and accumulated in both Phelipanche tubercles and shoots. No movement of GFP to the parasite was observed when tobacco plants expressing GFP targeted to the ER were parasitized with P. aegyptiaca. Experiments using fluorescent probes of differing molecular weights to trace vascular continuity between the host plant and the parasite demonstrated that Phelipanche absorbs dextrans up to 70 kDa in size from the host and that this movement can be bi-directional. In the present study, we prove for the first time delivery of proteins from host to the parasitic weed P. aegyptiaca via phloem connections, providing information for developing parasite resistance strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, ARO, The Volcani Center Newe-Yaar Research Center, P.O. Box 1021, 30095, Ramat yeshai, Israel. radi@volcani.agri.gov.il
authors.forename: Radi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aly
authors.forename: Noureddine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hamamouch
authors.forename: Jacklin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abu-Nassar
authors.forename: Shmuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Joel
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eizenberg
authors.forename: Efrat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaisler
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cramer
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gal-On
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Westwood
mesh_terms: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D031670:Orobanchaceae / Q000378:metabolism*; D052585:Phloem / Q000378:metabolism; D057685:Plant Weeds / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D021381:Protein Transport
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins