Inducible expression of Bs2 R gene from Capsicum chacoense in sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) confers enhanced resistance to citrus canker disease.
Transgenic expression of the pepper Bs2 gene confers resistance to Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv) pathogenic strains which contain the avrBs2 avirulence gene in susceptible pepper and tomato varieties. The avrBs2 gene is highly conserved among members of the Xanthomonas genus, and the avrBs2 of Xcv shares 96% homology with the avrBs2 of Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc), the causal agent of citrus canker disease. A previous study showed that the transient expression of pepper Bs2 in lemon leaves reduced canker formation and induced plant defence mechanisms. In this work, the effect of the stable expression of Bs2 gene on citrus canker resistance was evaluated in transgenic plants of Citrus sinensis cv. Pineapple. Interestingly, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of epicotyls was unsuccessful when a constitutive promoter (2× CaMV 35S) was used in the plasmid construction, but seven transgenic lines were obtained with a genetic construction harbouring Bs2 under the control of a pathogen-inducible promoter, from glutathione S-transferase gene from potato. A reduction of disease symptoms of up to 70% was observed in transgenic lines expressing Bs2 with respect to non-transformed control plants. This reduction was directly dependent on the Xcc avrBs2 gene since no effect was observed when a mutant strain of Xcc with a disruption in avrBs2 gene was used for inoculations. Additionally, a canker symptom reduction was correlated with levels of the Bs2 expression in transgenic plants, as assessed by real-time qPCR, and accompanied by the production of reactive oxygen species. These results indicate that the pepper Bs2 resistance gene is also functional in a family other than the Solanaceae, and could be considered for canker control.
Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Tecnología Agroindustrial del Noroeste Argentino (ITANOA), Av. William Cross 3150, T4101XAC, Las Talitas, Tucumán, Argentina.
Lorena Noelia
LN
Sendín
Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Tecnología Agroindustrial del Noroeste Argentino (ITANOA), Av. William Cross 3150, T4101XAC, Las Talitas, Tucumán, Argentina.
Ingrid Georgina
IG
Orce
Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Tecnología Agroindustrial del Noroeste Argentino (ITANOA), Av. William Cross 3150, T4101XAC, Las Talitas, Tucumán, Argentina.
Rocío Liliana
RL
Gómez
Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Tecnología Agroindustrial del Noroeste Argentino (ITANOA), Av. William Cross 3150, T4101XAC, Las Talitas, Tucumán, Argentina.
Ramón
R
Enrique
Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Tecnología Agroindustrial del Noroeste Argentino (ITANOA), Av. William Cross 3150, T4101XAC, Las Talitas, Tucumán, Argentina.
Carlos Froilán
CF
Grellet Bournonville
Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Tecnología Agroindustrial del Noroeste Argentino (ITANOA), Av. William Cross 3150, T4101XAC, Las Talitas, Tucumán, Argentina.
Aldo Sergio
AS
Noguera
Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Dr. Cesar Milstein, Fundación Pablo Cassará, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Saladillo 2468, C1440FFX, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Adrián Alberto
AA
Vojnov
Facultad de Bioquímica y Farmacia-Instituto de Biología Celular y Molecular de Rosario, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 590, S2002LRK, Rosario, Argentina.
María Rosa
MR
Marano
Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Tecnología Agroindustrial del Noroeste Argentino (ITANOA), Av. William Cross 3150, T4101XAC, Las Talitas, Tucumán, Argentina.
Atilio Pedro
AP
Castagnaro
Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Tecnología Agroindustrial del Noroeste Argentino (ITANOA), Av. William Cross 3150, T4101XAC, Las Talitas, Tucumán, Argentina. paulafilippone@eeaoc.org.ar.
María Paula
MP
Filippone
D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000235:genetics; D002212:Capsicum / Q000235:genetics*; D032084:Citrus sinensis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology*; D060467:Disease Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D016959:Xanthomonas campestris / Q000472:pathogenicity*
Agrobacterium-mediated transformation; AvrBs2 gene; Citrus breeding; Glutathione S-transferase promoter; Resistance genes; Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri