Expression of an apoplast-directed, T-phylloplanin-GFP fusion gene confers resistance against Peronospora tabacina disease in a susceptible tobacco.
CONCLUSIONS
Phylloplanins are plant-derived, antifungal glycoproteins produced by leaf trichomes. Expression of phylloplanin-GFP fusion gene to the apoplast of a blue mold susceptible tobacco resulted in increased resistance to this pathogen.
Tobaccos and certain other plants secrete phylloplanin glycoproteins to aerial surfaces where they appear to provide first-point-of-contact resistance against fungi/fungi-like pathogens. These proteins can be collected by water washing of aerial plant surfaces, and as shown for tobacco and a sunflower phylloplanins, spraying concentrated washes onto, e.g., turf grass aerial surfaces can provide resistance against various fungi/fungi-like pathogens, in the laboratory. These results suggest that natural-product, phylloplanins may be useful as broad-selectivity fungicides. An obvious question now is can a tobacco phylloplanin gene be introduced into a disease-susceptible plant to confer endogenous resistance. Here we demonstrate that introduction of a tobacco phylloplanin gene--as a fusion with the GFP gene--targeted to the apoplasm can increase resistance to blue mold disease in a susceptible host tobacco.
Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
Antoaneta B M
AB
Kroumova
Dipak K
DK
Sahoo
Sumita
S
Raha
Michael
M
Goodin
Indu B
IB
Maiti
George J
GJ
Wagner
D060467:Disease Resistance / Q000276:immunology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D045604:Extracellular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D044742:Peronospora / Q000502:physiology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D019441:Plant Epidermis / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
D010940:Plant Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins