bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resistances to Turnip Mosaic Potyvirus inArabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Martín África Martín , y Poch Héctor Luis Cabrera , Herrera David Martínez , Ponz Fernando
Published: May 2007

The responses of a collection of Arabidopsis thaliana eco-types to mechanical inoculation with turnip mosaic poty-virus were assessed. The virus induced characteristic severe symptoms of infection in systemically infected plants. Resistance was found in four ecotypes: Bay-0, Di-0, Er-0, and Or-0. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results of the resistant ecotypes suggested that ecotypes Di-0, Er-0, and Or-0 actually consist of mixed genotypes with resistances acting at different levels in the virus life cycle. Another form of resistance was found in ecotype Bay-0, for which several lines of evidence indicated an interference with viral cell-to-cell movement in the inoculated leaves.
Conversion of the Pathogenic FungusColletotrichum magnato a Nonpathogenic, Endophytic Mutualist by Gene Disruption
Authors: Redman Regina S. , Ranson Judith C. , Rodriguez Rusty J.
Published: May 2007

Hygromycin-resistant transformants of the cucurbit pathogen Colletotrichum magna (teleomorph: Glomerella magna) were generated by restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) transformation. A rapid pathogenicity assay involving watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) seedlings was developed and 14,400 REMI transformants were screened and assessed for their ability to cause disease, colonize plant tissues, and confer disease resistance against wild-type C. magna. A total of 176 nonpathogenic REMI mutants capable of colonizing cucurbit plants were isolated and assigned to three groups based on their ability to confer disease resistance: phenotype A, 80 to 100% disease protection; phenotype B, 10 to 65% disease protection; and phenotype C, 0 to 4% disease protection. Molecular and genetic analyses of one REMI mutant (R1) indicated that the nonpathogenic phenotype A resulted from a single-site integration. R1 showed a 1:1 segregation of hygromycin resistance and nonpathogenicity and all hygro-mycin-resistant progeny were nonpathogenic. The integrated vector and 5.5 kb of flanking fungal genomic DNA were isolated from R1 and designated pGMR1. To verify that pGMR1 contained pathogenicity gene sequences, a wild-type isolate of C. magna was transformed with pGMR1 to induce gene disruptions by homologous integration. Approximately 47% of the pGMR1 transformants expressed phenotype A, indicating homologous integration and gene disruption.
Characterization of a New Arabidopsis Mutant Exhibiting Enhanced Disease Resistance
Authors: Silva Herman , Yoshioka Keiko , Dooner Hugo K. , Klessig Daniel F.
Published: May 2007

In many plant-pathogen interactions, resistance is associated with the synthesis and accumulation of salicylic acid (SA) and pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins. At least two general classes of mutants with altered resistance to pathogen attack have been identified in Arabidopsis. One class exhibits increased susceptibility to pathogen infection; the other class exhibits enhanced resistance to pathogens. In an attempt to identify mutations in resistance-associated loci, we screened a population of T-DNA tagged Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Wassilewskija (Ws) for mutants showing constitutive expression of the PR-1 gene (cep). A mutant was isolated and shown to constitutively express PR-1, PR-2, and PR-5 genes. This constitutive phenotype segregated as a single recessive trait in the Ws genetic background. The mutant also had elevated levels of SA, which are responsible for the cep phenotype. The cep mutant spontaneously formed hypersensitive response (HR)-like lesions on the leaves and cotyledons and also exhibited enhanced resistance to virulent bacterial and fungal pathogens. Genetic analyses of segregating progeny from outcrosses to other ecotypes unexpectedly revealed that alterations in more than one gene condition the constitutive expression of PR genes in the original mutant. One of the mutations, designated cpr20, maps to the lower arm of chromosome 4 and is required for the cep phenotype. Another mutation, which has been termed cpr21, maps to chromosome 1 and is often, but not always, associated with this phenotype. The recessive nature of the cep trait suggests that the CPR20 and CPR21 proteins may act as negative regulators in the disease resistance signal transduction pathway.
Development of Tobacco Mosaic Virus Infection Sites in Nicotiana benthamiana
Authors: Szécsi Judit , Ding Xin Shun , Lim Chae Oh , Bendahmane Mohammed , Cho Moo Je , Nelson Richard S. , Beachy Roger N.
Published: May 2007

To monitor infection of Nicotiana benthamiana by tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), leaves were inoculated with viral constructs expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from jellyfish (Aequorea victoria) fused to the movement protein (MP) of TMV (MP:GFP) or as a free GFP in place of the coat protein (CP). Infection sites produced by TMV expressing the MP:GFP appeared as fluorescent rings larger in diameter and less fluorescent than fluorescent disks induced by constructs encoding free GFP. These results suggest that protein expression driven by the MP subgenomic promoter (sgp) initiates and ends earlier and is at lower level than that observed for proteins driven by the CP sgp. Similarly, analyses of cross sections through the infection sites revealed that in different cell types the accumulation of MP:GFP was regulated differently than the accumulation of free GFP. Immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy showed that near the leading edge of the fluorescent ring the MP:GFP and the viral 126 kDa and 183 kDa replicase proteins accumulated in paired cytoplasmic bodies that formed often on opposite sides of adjacent cell walls containing plasmodesmata. In the dimly fluorescent center of the rings the 126 kDa and 183 kDa proteins, but not the MP:GFP, were localized in unpaired cytoplasmic bodies containing ropelike, fibrillar structures. The paired bodies were similar to previously described viroplasms, while the unpaired bodies were similar to X-bodies. These data indicate that the accumulation of proteins expressed from different sgps of TMV has a specific spatial and temporal pattern in planta. In addition, the cytoplasmic bodies containing the 126 kDa and 183 kDa proteins are dynamic entities whose protein content and subcellular location change during infection.
Recombination with Host Transgenes and Effects on Virus Evolution: An Overview and Opinion
Authors: Rubio Teresa , Borja Marise , Scholthof Herman B. , Jackson Andrew O.
Published: May 2007

This commentary relates to the work by M. Borja et al. (M. Borja, T. Rubio, H. B. Scholthof, and A. O. Jackson, MPMI 12:153-162, 1999) that shows that wild-type virus can be restored frequently by double recombination events between a tomato bushy stunt virus mutant with deletions inactivating the coat protein gene and a coat protein transgene. Here, we focus on evidence suggesting that new viruses might evolve via recombination with transgenes used for disease resistance, and discuss the potential effects of widespread use of these sources of resistance on virus evolution. We argue that the benefits arising from using transgenic sources of resistance for virus disease control outweigh potential negative consequences of evolution of novel hybrid viruses with destructive disease potential.
Homologues of the Cf-9 Disease Resistance Gene (Hcr9s) Are Present at Multiple Loci on the Short Arm of Tomato Chromosome 1
Authors: Parniske Martin , Wulff Brande B. H. , Bonnema Guusje , Thomas Colwyn M. , Jones David A. , Jones Jonathan D. G.
Published: May 2007

The tomato Cf-4 and Cf-9 genes map at a genetically complex locus on the short arm of chromosome 1 and confer resistance against Cladosporium fulvum through recognition of different pathogen-encoded avirulence determinants. Cf-4 and Cf-9 are members of a large gene family (Hcr9s, Homologues of Cladosporium fulvum resistance gene Cf-9), some of which encode additional distinct recognition specificities. A genetic analysis of the majority of Hcr9s suggests that their distribution is spatially restricted to the short arm of chromosome 1. Two loci of clustered Hcr9 genes have been analyzed physically that mapped distal (Northern Lights) and proximal (Southern Cross) to the Cf-4/9 locus (Milky Way). Sequence homologies between intergenic regions at Southern Cross and Milky Way indicate local Hcr9 duplication preceded cluster multiplication. The multiplication of clusters involved DNA flanking Hcr9 sequences as indicated by conserved lipoxy-genase sequences at Southern Cross and Milky Way. The similar spatial distribution of Hcr9 clusters in different Lycopersicon spp. suggests Hcr9 cluster multiplication preceded speciation.
Nematode-Responsive Activity of the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S Promoter and Its Subdomains
Authors: Bertioli David J. , Smoker Matthew , Burrows Paul R.
Published: May 2007

Root-knot and cyst nematodes are obligate plant parasites that induce complex biotrophic feeding structures in host roots. The mechanisms by which nematodes regulate host gene expression to produce feeding sites are unknown. The cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter has been reported to be repressed strongly in the feeding sites of both root-knot and cyst nematodes. In contrast, other work has indicated that this promoter is partially active in some feeding sites. Considering the importance of the 35S promoter in biotechnology, we have defined the nematoderesponsive nature of this promoter in more detail. Transgenic tobacco harboring various 35S-uidA constructs was assayed for β-glucuronidase (GUS) activity after infection by root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita) and cyst nematodes (Globodera tabacum subsp. tabacum). The entire 35S promoter (-343 to +8) was active in giant cells induced by M. incognita and, to a lesser extent, the syncytia of G. tabacum subsp. tabacum. In the latter case, activity decreased as the feeding sites matured. Subdomains of the 35S promoter were also active in feeding sites, particularly B4 and B5 in giant cells. However, subdomain B3 was strongly down-regulated in gall tissue and syncytia. In total, 14 constructs were studied and nematode-responsive expression was always stronger and more consistent with the root-knot nematode than the cyst nematode.
Gentisic Acid As a Pathogen-Inducible Signal, Additional to Salicylic Acid for Activation of Plant Defenses in Tomato
Authors: Bellés José María , Garro Rafael , Fayos Joaquín , Navarro Pilar , Primo Jaime , Conejero Vicente
Published: May 2007

Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd) and tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), which produce a systemic non-necrotizing infection in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Rutgers), strongly induced the accumulation of a phenolic compound that we have characterized as 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (gentisic acid, GA) by nuclear magnetic resonance, following purification by high-performance liquid chromatography. Levels of free and total GA increased more than 150-fold in response to CEVd and ToMV infections. Unlike these non-necrotizing infections, the necrotizing reaction elicited by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae in this host did not produce any accumulation of GA. It is also shown that, in healthy leaf tissues, benzoic acid (BA) and salicylic acid (SA) were rapidly converted to GA, SA being the immediate precursor of GA, according to radiolabeling studies. Interestingly, exogenous GA elicited accumulation of the previously described CEVd-induced antifungal pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins P23, P32, and P34. These proteins were not induced by exogenous SA, which is able to elicit other CEVd-induced PR proteins in tomato. These results suggest that GA acts as a pathogeninduced signal, additional to SA, for activation of plant defense genes in tomato.
The nolL Gene from Rhizobium etli Determines Nodulation Efficiency by Mediating the Acetylation of the Fucosyl Residue in the Nodulation Factor
Authors: Corvera Adriana , Promé Danielle , Promé Jean-Claude , Martínez-Romero Esperanza , Romero David
Published: May 2007

The nodulation factors (Nod factors) of Rhizobium etli and R. loti carry a 4-O-acetyl-L-fucosyl group at the reducing end. It has been claimed, based on sequence analysis, that NolL from R. loti participates in the 4-O-acetylation of the fucosyl residue of the Nod factors, as an acetyl-transferase (D. B. Scott, C. A. Young, J. M. Collins-Emerson, E. A. Terzaghi, E. S. Rockman, P. A. Lewis, and C. E. Pankhurst. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 9:187–197, 1996). Further support for this hypothesis was obtained by studying the production of Nod factors in an R. etli nolL::Km mutant. Chromatographic and mass spectrometry analysis of the Nod factors produced by this strain showed that they lack the acetyl-fucosyl substituent, having a fucosyl group instead. Acetyl-fucosylation was restored upon complementation with a wild-type nolL gene. These results indicate that the nolL gene determines 4-O-acetylation of the fucosyl residue in Nod factors. Analysis of the predicted NolL polypeptide suggests a transmembranal location and that it belongs to the family of integral membrane transacylases (J. M. Slauch, A. A. Lee, M. J. Mahan, and J. J. Mekalanos. J. Bacteriol. 178:5904–5909, 1996). NolL from R. loti was also proposed to function as a transporter; our results show that NolL does not determine a differential secretion of Nod factors from the cell. We also performed plant assays that indicate that acetylation of the fucose conditions efficient nodulation by R. etli of some Phaseolus vulgaris cultivars, as well as of an alternate host (Vigna umbellata).
Rhizobiumsp. Strain NGR234 andR. frediiUSDA257 Share Exceptionally Broad, Nested Host Ranges
Authors: Pueppke Steven G. , Broughton William J.
Published: May 2007

Genetically, Rhizobium sp. strain NGR234 and R. fredii USDA257 are closely related. Small differences in their nodulation genes result in NGR234 secreting larger amounts of more diverse lipo-oligosaccharidic Nod factors than USDA257. What effects these differences have on nodulation were analyzed by inoculating 452 species of legumes, representing all three subfamilies of the Leguminosae, as well as the nonlegume Parasponia andersonii, with both strains. The two bacteria nodulated P. andersonii, induced ineffective outgrowths on Delonix regia, and nodulated Chamaecrista fasciculata, a member of the only nodulating genus of the Caesalpinieae tested. Both strains nodulated a range of mimosoid legumes, especially the Australian species of Acacia, and the tribe Ingeae. Highest compatibilities were found with the papilionoid tribes Phaseoleae and Desmodieae. On Vigna spp. (Phaseoleae), both bacteria formed more effective symbioses than rhizobia of the “cowpea” (V. unguiculata) miscellany. USDA257 nodulated an exact subset (79 genera) of the NGR234 hosts (112 genera). If only one of the bacteria formed effective, nitrogen-fixing nodules it was usually NGR234. The only exceptions were with Apios americana, Glycine max, and G. soja. Few correlations can be drawn between Nod-factor substituents and the ability to nodulate specific legumes. Relationships between the ability to nodulate and the origin of the host were not apparent. As both P. andersonii and NGR234 originate from Indonesia/Malaysia/Papua New Guinea, and NGR234's preferred hosts (Desmodiinae/ Phaseoleae) are largely Asian, we suggest that broad host range originated in Southeast Asia and spread outward.
Isolation of Potato Genes That Are Induced During an Early Stage of the Hypersensitive Response to Phytophthora infestans
Authors: Birch Paul R. J. , Avrova Anna O. , Duncan James M. , Lyon Gary D. , Toth Rachel L.
Published: May 2007

Suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was used to generate a cDNA library enriched for sequences induced in a late-blight-resistant potato cultivar undergoing the hypersensitive response (HR). Of 100 partial cDNA sequences submitted to international DNA and protein data bases, 42 showed similarity to 35 genes, of which 31 were from plants. Of these, 13 were previously characterized as either defense-, stress-, or senescence-associated. One sequence matched (75 to 81%) all known serine palmitoyltransferases (SPTs) at the protein level. SPT catalyzes the first committed step in the synthesis of sphingolipids, important signaling molecules involved in cell differentiation and apoptosis. Putative products of other genes identified here may play a role in programmed cell death, including protein degradation, DNA degradation, metal ion chelation, and signal transduction. cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism was used to confirm differential expression of sequences isolated by SSH.
Constitutive Expression of Pea Defense Gene DRR206 Confers Resistance to Blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans) Disease in Transgenic Canola (Brassica napus)
Authors: Wang Yaping , Nowak Goska , Culley David , Hadwiger Lee A. , Fristensky Brian
Published: May 2007

To identify genes effective against the blackleg fungus Leptosphaeria maculans (Phoma lingam), we have transformed canola (Brassica napus) with four pea (Pisum sativum) genes under constitutive control by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter: PR10.1, chitinase, DRR206, and defensin. Transgenic lines containing single-copy T-DNA insertions for each gene were screened for both seedling (cotyledonary) and adult plant resistance. Lines for which pea DRR206 mRNA was expressed showed decreased disease scores, compared with non-expressing transgenic lines. Transgenic plants expressing pea defensin showed a slight enhancement of resistance, while for PR10 and chitinase transgenics there was little or no enhancement of resistance. Resistance to L. maculans cosegregated with DRR206 transgenes. Extracts from DRR206 and defensin transgenic plants inhibited fungal germination in vitro. DRR206 transgenic plants also demonstrated decreased hyphal growth at inoculation sites. While the precise function of DRR206 remains to be determined, these results suggest that it does play an important role in defense against fungi.
Polygalacturonase and Polygalacturonase Inhibitor Protein: Gene Isolation and Transcription in Glycine max - Heterodera glycines Interactions
Authors: Mahalingam Ramamurthy , Wang Gejiao , Knap Halina T.
Published: May 2007

The cell wall acts as the first line of defense during pathogen invasion. Polygalacturonases (PGs) are a class of cell-wall-modifying enzymes with precise temporal and organ-specific expression. A 350-bp fragment with high homology to PGs was identified by differential display (DD) analysis of soybean cyst nematode (SCN) race 3 resistant PI 437654 and susceptible cultivar Essex. The fragment was strongly expressed in Essex, 2 days after inoculation (DAI). Complete coding sequences of two PG cDNAs, PG1 and PG2, were isolated by 3′ and 5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends polymerase chain reaction (RACE PCR). PI 437654 and Essex had identical PG1 and PG2 sequences. A transversion from A to C created a PstI restriction site in the PG2 cDNA that was used to distinguish the two PG cDNAs by cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) analysis. A cDNA encoding a polygalacturonase-inhibitor protein (PGIP) that is 89% identical to the Phaseolus vulgaris PGIP was isolated from soybean roots by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. Steady-state levels of PG and PGIP were investigated by RNA gel blot analysis in roots 1 to 5 DAI and in hypocotyls and leaves. Differences in the constitutive levels of PG mRNAs were observed in roots of different soybean genotypes. Steady-state levels of PG mRNAs were enhanced during compatible interactions with SCN and reduced in incompatible interactions and in mechanically wounded roots. Enhanced PGIP transcription was observed in response to mechanical wounding in both PI 437654 and Essex, but only in compatible interactions with SCN, suggesting uncoupling of PGIP functions in developmental and stress cues. Constitutive expression in incompatible interactions shows PGIP is not a factor in SCN resistance. Thus, the up-regulation of endogenous PG transcription in soybean roots early after SCN infection could facilitate successful parasitism by SCN.
The Early Nodulin Gene MtN6 Is a Novel Marker for Events Preceding Infection of Medicago truncatula Roots by Sinorhizobium meliloti
Authors: Mathis R. , Grosjean C. , de Billy F. , Huguet T. , Gamas P.
Published: May 2007

MtN6 belongs to a series of cDNA clones representing Medicago truncatula genes transcriptionally activated during nodulation by Sinorhizobium meliloti (P. Gamas, F. de Carvalho Niebel, N. Lescure, and J. V. Cullimore, Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 9:233–242, 1996). We show here by in situ hybridization that MtN6 transcripts specifically accumulate first at very localized regions in the outer root cell layers, corresponding to outer cortical cells containing preinfection threads. At later stages, MtN6 expression is observed ahead of growing infection threads, including in the infection zone of mature root nodules. Interestingly, regulation of MtN6 is clearly distinct from that of other early nodulins expressed in the same region of the nodule, in terms of response to bacterial symbiotic mutants and to purified Nod factors. We thus suggest that MtN6 represents the first specific marker of a pathway involved in preparation to infection, which is at least partly controlled by Nod factors. Finally, we discuss the intriguing sequence homology shown by MtN6 to a protein from Emericella (Aspergillus) nidulans, FluG, that plays a key role in controlling the organogenesis of conidiophores (B. N. Lee and T. H. Adams, Genes Dev. 8:641–651, 1994).
Oligogalacturonide-Mediated Induction of a Gene Involved in Jasmonic Acid Synthesis in Response to the Cell-Wall-Degrading Enzymes of the Plant Pathogen Erwinia carotovora
Authors: Norman Cecilia , Vidal Sabina , Palva E. Tapio
Published: May 2007

Identification of Arabidopsis thaliana genes responsive to plant cell-wall-degrading enzymes of Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora led to the isolation of a cDNA clone with high sequence homology to the gene for allene oxide synthase, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of jasmonates. Expression of the corresponding gene was induced by the extracellular enzymes from this pathogen as well as by treatment with methyl jasmonate and short oligogalacturonides (OGAs). This suggests that OGAs are involved in the induction of the jasmonate pathway during plant defense response to E. carotovora subsp. carotovora attack.
Developmental Expression of Secretory β-1,4-endoglucanases in the Subventral Esophageal Glands ofHeterodera glycines
Authors: de Boer Jan M. , Yan Yitang , Wang Xiaohong , Smant Geert , Hussey Richard S. , Davis Eric L. , Baum Thomas J.
Published: May 2007

Two β-1,4-endoglucanases (EGases), Hg-eng-1 and Hg-eng-2, were recently cloned from the soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines, and their expression was shown in the subventral esophageal glands of hatched second-stage juveniles (J2). We examined the expression of these EGases in the subventral glands of all post-embryonic life stages of H. glycines by in situ hybridization and immunolocalization. The first detectable accumulation of EGase mRNAs occurred in the subventral glands of unhatched J2. EGase transcripts remained detectable in J2 after hatching and during subsequent root invasion. However, in late parasitic J2 and third-stage juveniles (J3), the percentage of individuals that showed EGase transcripts decreased. In female fourth-stage juveniles and adult females, EGase transcripts were no longer detected in the subventral glands. EGase hybridization signal reappeared in unhatched males coiled within the J3 cuticle, and transcripts were also present in the subventral glands of migratory adult males. Immunofluorescence labeling showed that EGase translation products are most abundantly present in the subventral glands of preparasitic J2, migratory parasitic J2, and adult males. The presence of EGases predominantly in the migratory stages suggests that the enzymes are used by the nematodes to soften the walls of root cells during penetration and intracellular migration.
Biological Activity of Two Tombusvirus Proteins Translated from Nested Genes Is Influenced by Dosage Control via Context-Dependent Leaky Scanning
Authors: Scholthof Herman B. , Desvoyes Bénédicte , Kuecker Joan , Whitehead Elizabeth
Published: May 2007

Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) encodes a small gene (p19) nested within the cell-to-cell movement gene (p22), and their translation yields two proteins with separate activities for virus spread and symptom induction. The objective of this study was to determine the biological relevance associated with the translational mechanism responsible for expression of the nested p22 and p19 genes. Introduction of site-specific mutations to optimize the translational start site context of p22 caused a substantial shift in the ratio of the two proteins, mainly because it dramatically reduced the otherwise abundant levels of p19 protein accumulation in vitro and in vivo. Changes in the dosage or ratios of p22 and p19 proteins failed to noticeably affect virus replication or movement in Nicotiana spp. that support a systemic infection. In contrast, bio-assays with hypersensitive Nicotiana hosts illustrated that a substantially elevated p22/p19 protein ratio increased the size of p19 protein-mediated lesions whereas those induced by the p22 protein tended to be smaller. The reduced levels of p19 protein prevented the onset of a lethal apical necrosis in systemically infected Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Furthermore, the increased p22/p19 protein ratio impaired the ability of TBSV to systemically invade spinach plants. These results suggest that control of tombusvirus p22 and p19 protein ratios and dosage through context-dependent leaky scanning provides a co-translational mechanism to coordinate their biological activities.
A Bean cDNA Expressed During a Hypersensitive Reaction Encodes a Putative Calcium-Binding Protein
Authors: Jakobek J. L. , Smith-Becker J. A. , Lindgren P. B.
Published: May 2007

The hypersensitive reaction (HR) is an inducible plant response that is associated with disease resistance. It is characterized by rapid, localized cell death at the site of infection and is believed to inhibit the spread of invading pathogens. We have isolated a cDNA clone, designated Hra32 (for hypersensitive reaction associated), corresponding to an RNA transcript that accumulates in bean during an HR. The predicted protein product of the Hra32 cDNA is an approximately 17 kDa protein of 161 amino acids, with four putative EF-hand calcium-binding domains. The temporal pattern of Hra32 transcript accumulation correlated closely with the onset of the HR in bean after inoculation with incompatible Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci and pv. tomato and with tobacco necrosis virus. Hra32 transcript also accumulated in bean in response to compatible P. syringae pv. phaseolicola and was correlated with necrotic cell death associated with disease lesion formation. A more transient pattern of Hra32 transcript accumulation occurred in bean in response to general stimuli that did not result in the HR or host cell death. These treatments included infiltration with a P. syringae pv. tabaci Hrp¯ mutant, P. syringae pv. tabaci cells treated with kanamycin, Escherichia coli, P. fluorescens, or glutathione, and in response to wounding. Thus, there was differential accumulation of the Hra32 transcript in response to specific stimuli resulting in the HR, compared with general stimuli that did not result in cell death. We hypothesize that the Hra32 product may be a component of the pathway that leads to hypersensitive cell death.
Systemic Resistance in Arabidopsis Induced by Rhizobacteria Requires Ethylene-Dependent Signaling at the Site of Application
Authors: Knoester Marga , Pieterse Corné M. J. , Bol John F. , Van Loon Leendert C.
Published: May 2007

Root colonization of Arabidopsis thaliana by the nonpathogenic, rhizosphere-colonizing, biocontrol bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS417r has been shown to elicit induced systemic resistance (ISR) against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst). The ISR response differs from the pathogen-inducible systemic acquired resistance (SAR) response in that ISR is independent of salicylic acid and not associated with pathogenesis-related proteins. Several ethylene-response mutants were tested and showed essentially normal symptoms of Pst infection. ISR was abolished in the ethylene-insensitive mutant etr1-1, whereas SAR was unaffected. Similar results were obtained with the ethylene-insensitive mutants ein2 through ein7, indicating that the expression of ISR requires the complete signal-transduction pathway of ethylene known so far. The induction of ISR by WCS417r was not accompanied by increased ethylene production in roots or leaves, nor by increases in the expression of the genes encoding the ethylene biosynthetic enzymes 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic (ACC) synthase and ACC oxidase. The eir1 mutant, displaying ethylene insensitivity in the roots only, did not express ISR upon application of WCS417r to the roots, but did exhibit ISR when the inducing bacteria were infiltrated into the leaves. These results demonstrate that, for the induction of ISR, ethylene responsiveness is required at the site of application of inducing rhizobacteria.
Characterization of a Host-Specific Protein Toxin (Ptr ToxB) from Pyrenophora tritici-repentis
Authors: Strelkov Stephen E. , Lamari Lakhdar , Ballance G. Murray
Published: May 2007

Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, the causal agent of tan spot of wheat, differentially induces tan necrosis and/or chlorosis in wheat. A chlorosis-inducing, host-specific toxin, termed Ptr ToxB (formerly Ptr chlorosis toxin), was purified from the culture filtrates of a race 5 isolate of P. tritici-repentis. Partial purification was performed by 25 to 80% ammonium sulfate precipitation and passage through a carboxy-methyl-Sephadex C-25 cation exchange column. Final purification was performed by fast performance liquid chromatography, with a Mono S HR 5/5 cation exchanger, followed by size fractionation on a Superose 12 HR 10/30 column. The toxin was shown to be proteinaceous in nature, and purity was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular mass of Ptr ToxB was determined to be 6.61 kDa. The amino acid composition and partial N terminus amino acid sequence of the toxin were also obtained. Ptr ToxB was found to be heat stable, maintaining full toxic activity after 1 h at 55°C. Infiltration of toxin concentrations as low as 14 nM produced chlorosis on susceptible cultivars.
Replicase-Mediated Resistance to Cucumber Mosaic Virus Does Not Inhibit Localization and/or Trafficking of the Viral Movement Protein
Authors: Canto Tomas , Palukaitis Peter
Published: May 2007

Replicase-mediated resistance to cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) affects CMV replication and restricts CMV movement. Confocal laser scanning microscopic analysis of resistant plants inoculated with either CMV or potato virus X, expressing the CMV movement protein (MP) fused to the green fluorescent protein (GFP), showed that the CMV MP was not inhibited from either plasmodesmal association or trafficking in the CMV-resistant plants. CMV expressing free GFP was able to move to adjacent cells, demonstrating that replicase-mediated resistance did not directly block the trafficking of CMV RNA.
Expression of a Serratia marcescens Chitinase Gene in Sinorhizobium fredii USDA191 and Sinorhizobium meliloti RCR2011 Impedes Soybean and Alfalfa Nodulation
Authors: Krishnan Hari B. , Kim Kil Yong , Krishnan Ammulu Hari
Published: May 2007

A gene encoding chitinase from Serratia marcescens BJL200 was cloned into a broad-host-range vector (pRK415) and mobilized into Sinorhizobium fredii USDA191. Chitinolytic activity was detected in S. fredii USDA191 transconjugants that carried the S. marcescens chiB gene. Chitinase-producing S. fredii USDA191 formed nodules on soybean cultivar McCall. However, there was a delay in nodule formation and a marked decrease in the total number of nodules formed by the chitinase-producing S. fredii in comparison with the wild-type strain. Expression of chitinase in S. meliloti RCR2011 also impeded alfalfa nodulation. Thin-layer chromatography of 14C-labeled Nod factors from chitinase-producing S. fredii USDA191 revealed hydrolysis of lipochitooligosaccharides.
Identification of an Ancestral Resistance Gene Cluster Involved in the Coevolution Process Between Phaseolus vulgaris and Its Fungal Pathogen Colletotrichum lindemuthianum
Authors: Geffroy Valérie , Sicard Delphine , de Oliveira Julio C. F. , Sévignac Mireille , Cohen Séverine , Gepts Paul , Neema Claire , Langin Thierry , Dron Michel
Published: May 2007

The recent cloning of plant resistance (R) genes and the sequencing of resistance gene clusters have shed light on the molecular evolution of R genes. However, up to now, no attempt has been made to correlate this molecular evolution with the host-pathogen coevolution process at the population level. Cross-inoculations were carried out between 26 strains of the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum lindemuthianum and 48 Phaseolus vulgaris plants collected in the three centers of diversity of the host species. A high level of diversity for resistance against the pathogen was revealed. Most of the resistance specificities were overcome in sympatric situations, indicating an adaptation of the pathogen to the local host. In contrast, plants were generally resistant to allopatric strains, suggesting that R genes that were efficient against exotic strains but had been overcome locally were maintained in the plant genome. These results indicated that coevolution processes between the two protagonists led to a differentiation for resistance in the three centers of diversity of the host. To improve our understanding of the molecular evolution of these different specificities, a recombinant inbred (RI) population derived from two representative genotypes of the Andean (JaloEEP558) and Mesoamerican (BAT93) gene pools was used to map anthracnose specificities. A gene cluster comprising both Andean (Co-y; Co-z) and Mesoamerican (Co-9) host resistance specificities was identified, suggesting that this locus existed prior to the separation of the two major gene pools of P. vulgaris. Molecular analysis revealed a high level of complexity at this locus. It harbors 11 restriction fragment length polymorphisms when R gene analog (RGA) clones are used. The relationship between the coevolution process and diversification of resistance specificities at resistance gene clusters is discussed.
Transcription of a Gene Encoding a Lectinlike Glycoprotein Is Induced in Root Cells Harboring Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Pisum sativum
Authors: Balestrini Raffaella , Perotto Silvia , Gasverde Elena , Dahiya Preeti , Guldmann Lise-Lotte , Brewin Nicholas J. , Bonfante Paola
Published: May 2007

The gene PsNlec1, which encodes a lectinlike glycoprotein, is strongly expressed in pea nodule tissue. Using gene-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers, in situ hybridization probes, and specific antisera derived from the PsNlec1 sequence, we investigated gene expression associated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis of pea roots. With the use of reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and cold in situ hybridization, strong expression of the transcript was demonstrated not only in root nodules but also in mycorrhizal roots when the cells were colonized by the endomycorrhizal fungus Glomus versiforme. No transcript was detectable in uninfected pea roots. With an antiserum raised against PsNLEC-1 polypeptide, a single antigenic band (25 kDa) was observed following gel electrophoresis of extracts from mycorrhizal roots. However, the amount of antigen was apparently too low to be detected by immunogold localization in tissue sections of pea mycorrhizal roots.
BioS, a Biotin-Induced, Stationary-Phase, and Possible LysR-Type Regulator in Sinorhizobium meliloti
Authors: Heinz Elke B. , Phillips Donald A. , Streit Wolfgang R.
Published: May 2007

Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 produces biotin required for growth, but it also responds to external biotin signals from alfalfa plants through the bioS regulatory locus. Mutation of bioS increases biotin uptake, extends stationary phase in the presence of biotin, and impairs competitive growth in the presence of biotin. New data supporting the relevance of this gene to plant-microbe interactions show that a bioS-gusA reporter fusion is expressed by bacteria on plant roots, by bacteria in alfalfa root nodules, and more generally by any stationary-phase bacterial cells in the presence of biotin. Significant transcription of bioS-gusA was detected at 50 pM biotin, and a 16-fold induction was measured in stationary-phase cells with 1 nM biotin. A positive autoregulation of bioS is suggested by the fact that, in the presence of 10 nM biotin, a bioS-gusA fusion in wild-type cells was transcribed at more than twice the rate of the same reporter fusion in a bioS mutant background. Analyses of primer extension products and expression studies with three different bioS-gusA promoter fusions defined major characteristics of the bioS promoter. Expression of bioS in Escherichia coli resulted in the production of a 35-kDa BioS protein with characteristics of an LysR-type regulator. Those traits included a deduced amino acid sequence containing possible helix-turn-helix DNA-binding structures and three T-N (11)-A motifs upstream from the bioS gene. A regulatory role for BioS protein was supported by tests showing that a 321-bp DNA fragment containing the bioS promoter altered the electrophoretic mobility of recombinant BioS and of a corresponding band in protein extracts from S. meliloti 1021. The absence in BioS of any significant homology to known amino acid sequences was consistent with the fact that DNA hybridization tests with seven genera of bacteria detected bioS only in Sinorhizobium.
Phaseolus vulgaris Recognizes Azorhizobium caulinodans Nod Factors with a Variety of Chemical Substituents
Authors: Laeremans T. , Snoeck C. , Mariën J. , Verreth C. , Martínez-Romero E. , Promé J.-C. , Vanderleyden J.
Published: May 2007

Phaseolus vulgaris is a promiscuous host plant that can be nodulated by many different rhizobia representing a wide spectrum of Nod factors. In this study, we introduced the Rhizobium tropici CFN299 Nod factor sulfation genes nodHPQ into Azorhizobium caulinodans. The A. caulinodans transconjugants produce Nod factors that are mostly if not all sulfated and often with an arabinosyl residue as the reducing end glycosylation. Using A. caulinodans mutant strains, affected in reducing end decorations, and their respective transconjugants in a bean nodulation assay, we demonstrated that bean nodule induction efficiency, in decreasing order, is modulated by the Nod factor reducing end decorations fucose, arabinose or sulfate, and hydrogen.
A New Peroxidase cDNA from White Clover: Its Characterization and Expression in Root Tissue Challenged with Homologous Rhizobia, Heterologous Rhizobia, or Pseudomonas syringae
Authors: Crockard Martin A. , Bjourson Anthony J. , Cooper James E.
Published: May 2007

Temporal reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) expression analyses were performed on Trprx2, a new white clover peroxidase, with roots challenged with homologous rhizobia, heterologous rhizobia, and a pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae. Low levels of Trprx2 expression were evident in all rhizobial treatments but in P.syringae-treated clover background expression was dramatically reduced within 1 h and was undetectable in treatments inoculated for more than 3 h. Spraying 4 mM salicylic acid onto seedlings increased Trprx2 expression. These data suggest a defensive role for Trprx2 in white clover and indicate active defense suppression by the pathogen.
Isolation, Partial Sequencing, and Expression of Pathogenesis-Related cDNA Genes from Pepper Leaves Infected byXanthomonas campestrispv.vesicatoria
Authors: Jung Ho Won , Hwang Byung Kook
Published: May 2007

Specific cDNAs showing differential expression in bacteria-infected pepper leaves as opposed to healthy leaves were isolated from a pepper cDNA library from hypersensitive response (HR) lesions of leaves infected with an avirulent strain of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria. Among a total of 282 cDNA clones tested, 36 individual cDNA genes (13%) hybridized strongly or differentially to the cDNA probes from bacteria-infected leaves. Ten Capsicum annuum-induced (CAI) genes encoding putative thionin, lipid transfer protein I and II, osmotin (PR-5), class I chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase, SAR 8.2, stellacyanin, leucine-rich repeat protein, and auxin-repressed protein were identified. Two CAI genes showed little or no sequence homology to the previously sequenced plant genes. Transcripts of the CAI genes were strongly or preferentially induced in pepper tissues by infection with X. campestris pv. vesicatoria or Phytophthora capsici, and by abiotic elicitor treatment. In particular, most of the CAI genes were strongly induced in pepper tissues by ethephon and methyl jasmonate.
Activation of the cAMP Pathway in Ustilago maydis Reduces Fungal Proliferation and Teliospore Formation in Plant Tumors
Authors: Krüger Julia , Loubradou Gabriel , Wanner Gerhard , Regenfelder Erika , Feldbrügge Michael , Kahmann Regine
Published: May 2007

In the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis, mating of two haploid sporidia is a prerequisite for subsequent colonization of the host. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) and pheromone signals have been implicated in this developmental program. The cAMP pathway is also needed for subsequent fungal development in planta, as null mutants in any component of the pathway fail to form tumors. Here we show that moderate activation of the pathway conferred either by mutation in the Gα subunit or by mutation in the regulatory subunit of the protein kinase A influences tumor morphology. In the resulting tumors, the amount of fungal material is drastically reduced and fungal development is arrested at the stage of sporogenic hyphae. We conclude that tight regulation of the cAMP pathway is crucial for fungal development within the plant but does not interfere with the tumor induction process.
A Second T-Region of the Soybean-Supervirulent Chrysopine-Type Ti Plasmid pTiChry5, and Construction of a Fully Disarmed vir Helper Plasmid
Authors: Palanichelvam Karuppaiah , Oger Philippe , Clough Steven J. , Cha Chung , Bent Andrew F. , Farrand Stephen K.
Published: May 2007

Agrobacterium tumefaciens Chry5, which is particularly virulent on soybeans, induces tumors that produce a family of Amadori-type opines that includes deoxyfructosyl glutamine (Dfg) and its lactone, chrysopine (Chy). Cosmid clones mapping to the right of the known oncogenic T-region of pTiChry5 conferred Amadori opine production on tumors induced by the nopaline strain C58. Sequence analysis of DNA held in common among these cosmids identified two 25-bp, direct repeats flanking an 8.5-kb segment of pTiChry5. These probable border sequences are closely related to those of other known T-regions and define a second T-region of pTiChry5, called T-right (TR), that confers production of the Amadori opines. The oncogenic T-left region (TL) was located precisely by identifying and sequencing the likely border repeats defining this segment. The two T-regions are separated by approximately 15 kb of plasmid DNA. Based on these results, we predicted that pKYRT1, a vir helper plasmid derived from pTiChry5, still contains all of TR and the leftmost 9 kb of TL. Consistent with this hypothesis, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants selected for with a marker encoded by a binary plasmid following transformation with KYRT1 coinherited production of the Amadori opines at high frequency. All opine-positive transgenic plants also contained TR-DNA, while those plants that lacked TR-DNA failed to produce the opines. Moreover, A. thaliana infected with KYRT1 in which an nptII gene driven by the 35S promoter of Cauliflower mosaic virus was inserted directly into the vir helper plasmid yielded kanamycin-resistant transformants at a low but detectable frequency. These results demonstrate that pKYRT1 is not disarmed, and can transfer Ti plasmid DNA to plants. A new vir helper plasmid was constructed from pTiChry5 by two rounds of sacB-mediated selection for deletion events. This plasmid, called pKPSF2, lacks both of the known T-regions and their borders. pKPSF2 failed to transfer Ti plasmid DNA to plants, but mobilized the T-region of a binary plasmid at an efficiency indistinguishable from those of pKYRT1 and the nopaline-type vir helper plasmid pMP90.
The Cylindrical Inclusion Gene of Turnip mosaic virus Encodes a Pathogenic Determinant to the Brassica Resistance Gene TuRB01
Authors: Jenner C. E. , Sánchez F. , Nettleship S. B. , Foster G. D. , Ponz F. , Walsh J. A.
Published: May 2007

The viral component of Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) determining virulence to the Brassica napus TuRB01 dominant resistance allele has been identified. Sequence comparisons of an infectious cDNA clone of the UK 1 isolate of TuMV (avirulent on TuRB01) and a spontaneous mutant capable of infecting plants possessing TuRB01 suggested that a single nucleotide change in the cylindrical inclusion (CI) protein coding region (gene) of the virus was responsible for the altered phenotype. A second spontaneous mutation involved a different change in the CI gene. The construction of chimeric genomes and subsequent inoculations to plant lines segregating for TuRB01 confirmed the involvement of the CI gene in this interaction. Site-directed mutagenesis of the viral coat protein (CP) gene at the ninth nucleotide was carried out to investigate its interaction with TuRB01. The identity of this nucleotide in the CP gene did not affect the outcome of the viral infection. Both mutations identified in the CI gene caused amino acid changes in the C terminal third of the protein, outside any of the conserved sequences reported to be associated with helicase or cell-to-cell transport activities. This is the first example of a potyvirus CI gene acting as a determinant for a genotype-specific resistance interaction.
The Lotus japonicus LjSym4 Gene Is Required for the Successful Symbiotic Infection of Root Epidermal Cells
Authors: Bonfante Paola , Genre Andrea , Faccio Antonella , Martini Isabella , Schauser Leif , Stougaard Jens , Webb Judith , Parniske Martin
Published: May 2007

The role of the Lotus japonicus LjSym4 gene during the symbiotic interaction with Mesorhizobium loti and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi was analyzed with two mutant alleles conferring phenotypes of different strength. Ljsym4-1 and Ljsym4-2 mutants do not form nodules with M. loti.Normal root hair curling and infection threads are not observed, while a nodC-dependent deformation of root hair tips indicates that nodulation factors are still perceived by Ljsym4 mutants. Fungal infection attempts on the mutants generally abort within the epidermis, but Ljsym4-1 mutants allow rare, successful, infection events, leading to delayed arbuscule formation. On roots of mutants homozygous for the Ljsym4-2 allele, arbuscule formation was never observed upon inoculation with either of the two AM fungi, Glomus intraradices or Gigaspora margarita. The strategy of epidermal penetration by G. margarita was identical for Ljsym4-2 mutants and the parental line, with appressoria, hyphae growing between two epidermal cells, penetration of epidermal cells through their anticlinal wall. These observations define a novel, genetically controlled step in AM colonization. Although rhizobia penetrate the tip of root hairs and AM fungi access an entry site near the base of epidermal cells, the LjSym4 gene is necessary for the appropriate response of this cell type to both microsymbionts. We propose that LjSym4 is required for the initiation or coordinated expression of the host plant cell's accommodation program, allowing the passage of both microsymbionts through the epidermis layer.