title: Transformation of the cucurbit powdery mildew pathogen Podosphaera xanthii by Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
abstract: The obligate biotrophic fungal pathogen Podosphaera xanthii is the main causal agent of powdery mildew in cucurbit crops all over the world. A major limitation of molecular studies of powdery mildew fungi (Erysiphales) is their genetic intractability. In this work, we describe a robust method based on the promiscuous transformation ability of Agrobacterium tumefaciens for reliable transformation of P. xanthii. The A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) system yielded transformants of P. xanthii with diverse transferred DNA (T-DNA) constructs. Analysis of the resultant transformants showed the random integration of T-DNA into the P. xanthii genome. The integrations were maintained in successive generations in the presence of selection pressure. Transformation was found to be transient, because in the absence of selection agent, the introduced genetic markers were lost due to excision of T-DNA from the genome. The ATMT system represents a potent tool for genetic manipulation of P. xanthii and will likely be useful for studying other biotrophic fungi. We hope that this method will contribute to the development of detailed molecular studies of the intimate interaction established between powdery mildew fungi and their host plants.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea 'La Mayora' - Universidad de Málaga - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Málaga, 29071, Spain.|Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga. Bulevar Louis Pasteur 31, Málaga, 29071, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínez-Cruz
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea 'La Mayora' - Universidad de Málaga - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Málaga, 29071, Spain.|Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga. Bulevar Louis Pasteur 31, Málaga, 29071, Spain.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea 'La Mayora' - Universidad de Málaga - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Málaga, 29071, Spain.|Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga. Bulevar Louis Pasteur 31, Málaga, 29071, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Vicente
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea 'La Mayora' - Universidad de Málaga - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Málaga, 29071, Spain.|Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga. Bulevar Louis Pasteur 31, Málaga, 29071, Spain.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pérez-García
mesh_terms: D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000378:metabolism*; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000235:genetics*; D028464:Cucurbita / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D016681:Genome, Fungal; D008938:Mitosis; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C036483:T-DNA
keywords: 
  Podosphaera xanthii
  ; Agrobacterium-mediated transformation; GFP fluorescence; fungicide resistance marker; powdery mildews; thermal asymmetric interlaced polymerase chain reaction (TAIL-PCR)