title: Pyramiding taro cystatin and fungal chitinase genes driven by a synthetic promoter enhances resistance in tomato to root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita.
abstract: Meloidogyne incognita, one of the major root-knot nematode (RKN) species in agriculture, attacks many plant species, causing severe economic losses. Genetic engineering of plants with defense-responsive genes has been demonstrated to control RKN. These studies, however, focused on controlling RKN at certain growth stages. In the present study, a dual gene overexpression system, utilizing a plant cysteine proteinase inhibitor (CeCPI) and a fungal chitinase (PjCHI-1), was used to transform tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in order to provide protection from all growth stages of RKN. A synthetic promoter, pMSPOA, containing NOS-like and SP8a elements, was employed to drive the expression of introduced genes. Gall formation and the proportion of female nematodes in the population, as well as effects on the reproduction of RKN, were monitored in both transgenic and control plants. RKN eggs collected from transgenic plants displayed reduced chitin content and retardation in embryogenesis. The results demonstrated that transgenic plants had inhibitory effects on RKN that were superior to plants transformed with a single gene. The pyramiding expression system produced synergistic effects by the two defense-responsive genes, leading to a detrimental effect on all growth stages of RKN.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yuan-Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsen-Tsz
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Hualien District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, Council of Agriculture, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chii-Jeng
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China. Electronic address: zhtian@yangtzeu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhihong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: ykwbppp@ntu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Kai-Wun
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Yeh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002688:Chitinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015891:Cystatins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D014431:Tylenchoidea / Q000472:pathogenicity*
chemical_list: D015891:Cystatins; D002688:Chitinases
keywords: CeCPI; PjCHI-1; Root-knot nematode; Synthetic promoter; Tomato; pMSPOA