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Characterization of the early response of Arabidopsis to Alternaria brassicicola infection using expression profiling.

All tested accessions of Arabidopsis are resistant to the fungal pathogen Alternaria brassicicola. Resistance is compromised by pad3 or coi1 mutations, suggesting that it requires the Arabidopsis phytoalexin camalexin and jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent signaling, respectively. This contrasts with most well-studied Arabidopsis pathogens, which are controlled by salicylic acid-dependent responses and do not benefit from absence of camalexin or JA. Here, mutants with defects in camalexin synthesis (pad1, pad2, pad3, and pad5) or in JA signaling (pad1, coi1) were found to be more susceptible than wild type. Mutants with defects in salicylic acid (pad4 and sid2) or ethylene (ein2) signaling remained resistant. Plant responses to A. brassicicola were characterized using expression profiling. Plants showed dramatic gene expression changes within 12 h, persisting at 24 and 36 h. Wild-type and pad3 plants responded similarly, suggesting that pad3 does not have a major effect on signaling. The response of coi1 plants was quite different. Of the 645 genes induced by A. brassicicola in wild-type and pad3 plants, 265 required COI1 for full expression. It is likely that some of the COI1-dependent genes are important for resistance to A. brassicicola. Responses to A. brassicicola were compared with responses to Pseudomonas syringae infection. Despite the fact that these pathogens are limited by different defense responses, approximately 50% of the induced genes were induced in response to both pathogens. Among these, requirements for COI1 were consistent after infection by either pathogen, suggesting that the regulatory effect of COI1 is similar regardless of the initial stimulus.

Alternaria↗

Regulation of Arabidopsis COPINE 1 gene expression in response to pathogens and abiotic stimuli.

The copines are a widely distributed class of calcium-dependent, phospholipid-binding proteins of undetermined biological function. Mutation of the Arabidopsis CPN1 (COPINE 1) gene causes a humidity-sensitive lesion mimic phenotype with increased resistance to a bacterial and an oomyceteous pathogen, constitutive pathogenesis-related gene expression, and an accelerated hypersensitive cell death defense response. Here, we show that the disease resistance phenotype of the cpn1-1 mutant was also temperature sensitive, demonstrate increased CPN1 gene transcript accumulation in wild-type plants under low-humidity conditions, and present a detailed analysis of CPN1 gene transcript accumulation in response to bacterial pathogens. In wild-type plants, CPN1 transcript accumulation was rapidly, locally, and transiently induced by both avirulent and virulent strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato bacteria. However, induction of CPN1 transcript accumulation by avirulent bacteria was much faster and stronger than that induced by virulent bacteria. Bacterial induction of CPN1 transcript accumulation was dependent on a functional type III bacterial protein secretion system. In planta expression of the avrRpt2 avirulence gene was sufficient to trigger rapid CPN1 transcript accumulation. CPN1 transcript accumulation was induced by salicylic acid treatment but was not observed during lesion formation in the lesion mimic mutants lsd1 and lsd5. These results are consistent with CPN1 playing a role in plant disease resistance responses, possibly as a suppressor of defense responses including the hypersensitive cell death defense response. The results also suggest that CPN1 may represent a link between plant disease resistance and plant acclimation to low-humidity and low-temperature conditions.

Acclimatization↗

Water Relation Alterations Observed during Hypersensitive Reaction Induced by Bacteria.

Upon exposure to pathogenic bacteria, resistant and nonhost plants undergo a hypersensitive reaction (HR) that is expressed as rapid plant cell death. If sufficient concentrations of these bacteria are inoculated to such plant tissue, then that portion of the tissue rapidly collapses and becomes necrotic. As the tissue collapses the water relations of inoculated tissues become markedly disturbed. We measured a decline in the relative water content (RWC) in the leaf-like cotyledons of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum cv Immune 216) within the first 4 h (cut at 1 h) after inoculation with Pseudomonas syringae pv tabaci. However, the decrease in RWC was not caused by a decrease in initial fresh weight but by increased water uptake during incubation in water. By 8 h after inoculation, cotyledons still on the plant had lost turgidity, and their area decreased. K+ efflux was also observed concurrently with the decrease in RWC, providing a reason for the loss of turgidity in the tissue. These observations suggest that cells lose turgor and change shape from cylinders with large intercellular spaces to those of a more tabular shape. During this change cell walls come closer together, providing an avenue for increased water uptake through capillary action. The stomatal diffusive resistance of intact cotyledons increased; hence, water loss through stomata is not the cause of the observed wilting and RWC decline. An increase in K+ per dry weight suggests that phloem loading or movement may also be impaired during bacterially induced HR.

Journal Article↗

Proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry as a new tool for real time analysis of root-secreted volatile organic compounds in Arabidopsis.

Plant roots release about 5% to 20% of all photosynthetically-fixed carbon, and as a result create a carbon-rich environment for numerous rhizosphere organisms, including plant pathogens and symbiotic microbes. Although some characterization of root exudates has been achieved, especially of secondary metabolites and proteins, much less is known about volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by roots. In this communication, we describe a novel approach to exploring these rhizosphere VOCs and their induction by biotic stresses. The VOC formation of Arabidopsis roots was analyzed using proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS), a new technology that allows rapid and real time analysis of most biogenic VOCs without preconcentration or chromatography. Our studies revealed that the major VOCs released and identified by both PTR-MS and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were either simple metabolites, ethanol, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, ethyl acetate, 2-butanone, 2,3,-butanedione, and acetone, or the monoterpene, 1,8-cineole. Some VOCs were found to be produced constitutively regardless of the treatment; other VOCs were induced specifically as a result of different compatible and noncompatible interactions between microbes and insects and Arabidopsis roots. Compatible interactions of Pseudomonas syringae DC3000 and Diuraphis noxia with Arabidopsis roots resulted in the rapid release of 1,8-cineole, a monoterpene that has not been previously reported in Arabidopsis. Mechanical injuries to Arabidopsis roots did not produce 1,8-cineole nor any C6 wound-VOCs; compatible interactions between Arabidopsis roots and Diuraphis noxia did not produce any wound compounds. This suggests that Arabidopsis roots respond to wounding differently from above-ground plant organs. Trials with incompatible interactions did not reveal a set of compounds that was significantly different compared to the noninfected roots. The PTR-MS method may open the way for functional root VOC analysis that will complement genomic investigations in Arabidopsis.

Animals↗

Electrophysiological characterization of the Arabidopsis avrRpt2-specific hypersensitive response in the absence of other bacterial signals.

The hypersensitive response (HR) is defined as rapid cell collapse at the infection site and often accompanies plant resistance. The physiological processes leading to HR are not well understood. Here, we report an electrophysiological characterization of bacterial HR caused by a single avirulence gene in the absence of other bacterial signals. We used dexamethasone (dex)-inducible transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants containing the avrRpt2 gene from Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato. Membrane depolarization in these plants began 1 to 1.5 h after dex application, hours before electrolyte leakage. Progressive depolarization was a sensitive early indicator of HR that occurred only in Arabidopsis leaf cells expressing both avrRpt2 and a functional RPS2 gene. Hyperpolarization of fully depolarized membranes by fusicoccin, a fungal toxin that activates the H(+)-ATPase, indicates that depolarization did not result from a nonfunctional pump or leaky membranes. Depolarization and electrolyte leakage were inhibited in RPS2 plants by the calcium channel blocker LaCl(3), highly correlating these events and suggesting that Ca(2+) entry into cells is required for both. Also correlated were inhibition of depolarization, electrolyte leakage, and HR following salicylic acid pretreatment. In salicylic acid-pretreated RPS2 seedlings, avrRpt2 transcript was produced after dex treatment. However, AvrRpt2 protein accumulation was greatly reduced, suggesting a possible mechanism for inhibition of HR in plants with induced resistance. This experimental system is a very sensitive assay that lends itself to the dissection of physiological processes leading to HR in plants, and provides a baseline for future research within a genetic framework.

Arabidopsis↗

Ascorbate oxidase-dependent changes in the redox state of the apoplast modulate gene transcript accumulation leading to modified hormone signaling and orchestration of defense processes in tobacco.

The role of the redox state of the apoplast in hormone responses, signaling cascades, and gene expression was studied in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants with modified cell wall-localized ascorbate oxidase (AO). High AO activity specifically decreased the ascorbic acid (AA) content of the apoplast and altered plant growth responses triggered by hormones. Auxin stimulated shoot growth only when the apoplastic AA pool was reduced in wild-type or AO antisense lines. Oxidation of apoplastic AA in AO sense lines was associated with loss of the auxin response, higher mitogen-activated protein kinase activities, and susceptibility to a virulent strain of the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. The total leaf glutathione pool, the ratio of reduced glutathione to glutathione disulfide, and glutathione reductase activities were similar in the leaves of all lines. However, AO sense leaves exhibited significantly lower dehydroascorbate reductase and ascorbate peroxidase activities than wild-type and antisense leaves. The abundance of mRNAs encoding antioxidant enzymes was similar in all lines. However, the day/night rhythms in the abundance of transcripts encoding the three catalase isoforms were changed in response to the AA content of the apoplast. Other transcripts influenced by AO included photorespiratory genes and a plasma membrane Ca(2+) channel-associated gene. We conclude that the redox state of the apoplast modulates plant growth and defense responses by regulating signal transduction cascades and gene expression patterns. Hence, AO activity, which modulates the redox state of the apoplastic AA pool, strongly influences the responses of plant cells to external and internal stimuli.

Ascorbate Oxidase↗

Characterization of a mitogen-activated protein kinase gene from cucumber required for trichoderma-conferred plant resistance.

The fungal biocontrol agent Trichoderma asperellum has been recently shown to induce systemic resistance in plants through a mechanism that employs jasmonic acid and ethylene signal transduction pathways. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) proteins have been implicated in the signal transduction of a wide variety of plant stress responses. Here we report the identification and characterization of a Trichoderma-induced MAPK (TIPK) gene function in cucumber (Cucumis sativus). Similar to its homologs, wound-induced protein kinase, MPK3, and MPK3a, TIPK is also induced by wounding. Normally, preinoculation of roots with Trichoderma activates plant defense mechanisms, which result in resistance to the leaf pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv lachrymans. We used a unique attenuated virus vector, Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV-AGII), to overexpress TIPK protein and antisense (AS) RNA. Plants overexpressing TIPK were more resistant to pathogenic bacterial attack than control plants, even in the absence of Trichoderma preinoculation. On the other hand, plants expressing TIPK-AS revealed increased sensitivity to pathogen attack. Moreover, Trichoderma preinoculation could not protect these AS plants against subsequent pathogen attack. We therefore demonstrate that Trichoderma exerts its protective effect on plants through activation of the TIPK gene, a MAPK that is involved in signal transduction pathways of defense responses.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Hormonal and stress induction of the gene encoding common bean acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase.

Regulation of the cytosolic acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) gene promoter from common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) was studied in transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants using a beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene fusion (PvACCase::GUS). Under normal growth conditions, GUS was expressed in hydathodes, stipules, trichome bases, flowers, pollen, and embryos. In roots, expression was observed in the tip, elongation zone, hypocotyl-root transition zone, and lateral root primordia. The PvACCase promoter was induced by wounding, Pseudomonas syringae infection, hydrogen peroxide, jasmonic acid (JA), ethylene, or auxin treatment. Analysis of PvACCase::GUS expression in JA and ethylene mutants (coronatine insensitive1-1 [coi1-1], ethylene resistant1-1 [etr1-1], coi1-1/etr1-1) suggests that neither JA nor ethylene perception participates in the activation of this gene in response to wounding, although each of these independent signaling pathways is sufficient for pathogen or hydrogen peroxide-induced PvACCase gene expression. We propose a model involving different pathways of PvACCase gene activation in response to stress.

Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase↗

Salicylic Acid in Rice (Biosynthesis, Conjugation, and Possible Role).

Salicylic acid (SA) is a natural inducer of disease resistance in some dicotyledonous plants. Rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L.) had the highest levels of SA among all plants tested for SA content (between 0.01 and 37.19 [mu]g/g fresh weight). The second leaf of rice seedlings had slightly lower SA levels than any younger leaves. To investigate the role of SA in rice disease resistance, we examined the levels of SA in rice (cv M-201) after inoculation with bacterial and fungal pathogens. SA levels did not increase after inoculation with either the avirulent pathogen Pseudomonas syringae D20 or with the rice pathogens Magnaporthe grisea, the causal agent of rice blast, and Rhizoctonia solani, the causal agent of sheath blight. However, leaf SA levels in 28 rice varieties showed a correlation with generalized blast resistance, indicating that SA may play a role as a constitutive defense compound. Biosynthesis and metabolism of SA in rice was studied and compared to that of tobacco. Rice shoots converted [14C]cinnamic acid to SA and the lignin precursors p-coumaric and ferulic acids, whereas [14C]benzoic acid was readily converted to SA. The data suggest that in rice, as in tobacco, SA is synthesized from cinnamic acid via benzoic acid. In rice shoots, SA is largely present as a free acid; however, exogenously supplied SA was converted to [beta]-O-D-glucosylSA by an SA-inducible glucosyltransferase (SA-GTase). A 7-fold induction of SA-GTase activity was observed after 6 h of feeding 1 mM SA. Both rice roots and shoots showed similar patterns of SA-GTase induction by SA, with maximal induction after feeding with 1 mM SA.

Journal Article↗

A Complex Array of Proteins Related to the Multimeric Leucine Aminopeptidase of Tomato.

Leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) mRNAs are induced in response to mechanical wounding, pathogen infection, and insect infestation (V. Pautot, F.M. Holzer, B. Reisch, L.L. Walling [1993] Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 90: 9906-9910). Polyclonal antibodies to a glutathione S-transferase-LAP fusion protein and affinity-purified antibodies recognizing LAP antigenic determinants detected four classes of polypeptides in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) leaves. All four classes had multiple polypeptides in two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis immunoblots. Although antigenically related to the wound-induced tomato LAP proteins, the 77- and 66-kD LAP-like proteins accumulated in both healthy and wounded leaves. Two classes of 55-kD polypeptides with distinctive isoelectric points were designated as plant LAPs; only the acidic LAP proteins accumulated to high levels after mechanical wounding or Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato infection of tomato leaves. The temporal accumulation of LAP mRNAs was correlated with the increase in acidic LAP protein subunits. A slow-migrating LAP activity was detected using a native gel assay after wounding. The molecular mass of the native wound-induced LAP enzyme was 353 kD. The 55-kD acidic LAP proteins were associated with induced LAP activity, whereas the neutral LAPs and the LAP-like proteins were not associated with this exopeptidase. A second, fast-migrating aminopeptidase was detected in both healthy and wounded tomato leaves. Cell fractionation experiments revealed that wound-induced LAP is a soluble enzyme.

Journal Article↗

Observations of Ice Nucleation and Propagation in Plants Using Infrared Video Thermography.

We evaluated the use of infrared (IR) video thermography to observe directly ice nucleation and propagation in plants. An imaging radiometer with an HgCdTe long-wave (8-12 [mu]m) detector was utilized to image the thermal response of plants during freezing. IR images were analyzed in real time and recorded on videotape. Information on the videotape was subsequently accessed and analyzed utilizing IR image analysis software. Freezing of water droplets as small as 0.5 [mu]L was clearly detectable with the radiometer. Additionally, a comparison of temperature tracking data collected by the radiometer with data collected with thermocouples showed close correspondence. Monitoring of an array of plant species under different freezing conditions revealed that ice nucleation and propagation are readily observable by thermal imaging. In many instances, the ice nucleation-active bacterium Pseudomonas syringae placed on test plants could be seen to initiate freezing of the whole plant. Apparent ice nucleation by intrinsic nucleators, despite the presence of ice nucleation-active bacteria, was also evident in some species. Floral bud tissues of peach (Prunus persica) could be seen to supercool below the temperature of stem tissues, and ice nucleation at the site of insertion of the thermocouple was frequently observed. Rates of propagation of ice in different tissues were also easily measured by thermal imaging. This study demonstrates that IR thermography is an excellent method for studying ice nucleation and propagation in plants.

Journal Article↗

Salicylic Acid Is Needed in Hypersensitive Cell Death in Soybean but Does Not Act as a Catalase Inhibitor.

The function of salicylic acid (SA) in hypersensitive cell death was studied in a soybean (Glycine max)-Pseudomonas syringae pv glycinea system. The infection of cell cultures with bacteria leads to a hypersensitive reaction (HR), which is dependent on an appropriate avirulence gene and on low concentrations of SA. The requirement for SA is essential for a process shortly before the onset of the HR-caused cell death 5 to 6 h after infection with bacteria. SA given 10 to 12 h after infection or preincubation cannot rescue the completion of the cell death program. SA does not inhibit catalase or ascorbate peroxidase in soybean. In addition, the in vivo capacity of the cell culture for the rapid metabolism of H2O2 is not altered by SA. This clearly shows that SA is needed for the HR-caused cell death for a reaction downstream of the oxidative burst. Lipid peroxides accumulate during the HR, but the loss of membrane control precedes the generation of lipid peroxides. The accumulation of lipid peroxides in the HR can be prevented by lipid antioxidants. Nevertheless, cell death kinetics remain unaltered in the presence of antioxidants. It is concluded that lipid peroxides are a consequence of cell death, but not the primary cause of it.

Journal Article↗

Localized changes in peroxidase activity accompany hydrogen peroxide generation during the development of a nonhost hypersensitive reaction in lettuce

Peroxidase activity was characterized in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) leaf tissue. Changes in the activity and distribution of the enzyme were examined during the development of a nonhost hypersensitive reaction (HR) induced by Pseudomonas syringae (P. s.) pv phaseolicola and in response to an hrp mutant of the bacterium. Assays of activity in tissue extracts revealed pH optima of 4.5, 6.0, 5.5 to 6.0, and 6.0 to 6.5 for the substrates tetramethylbenzidine, guaiacol, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid, respectively. Inoculation with water or with wild-type or hrp mutant strains of P. s. pv phaseolicola caused an initial decline in total peroxidase activity; subsequent increases depended on the hydrogen donor used in the assay. Guaiacol peroxidase recovered more rapidly in tissues undergoing the HR, whereas changes in tetramethylbenzidine peroxidase were generally similar in the two interactions. In contrast, increases in chlorogenic acid peroxidase were significantly higher in tissues inoculated with the hrp mutant. During the HR, increased levels of Mn2+/2, 4-dichlorophenol-stimulated NADH and NADPH oxidase activities, characteristic of certain peroxidases, were found in intercellular fluids and closely matched the accumulation of H2O2 in the apoplast. Histochemical analysis of peroxidase distribution by electron microscopy revealed a striking, highly localized increase in activity within the endomembrane system and cell wall at the sites of bacterial attachment. However, no clear differences in peroxidase location were observed in tissue challenged by the wild-type strain or the hrp mutant. Our results highlight the significance of the subcellular control of oxidative reactions leading to the generation of reactive oxygen species, cell wall alterations, and the HR.

Journal Article↗

Potentiation of the oxidative burst and isoflavonoid phytoalexin accumulation by serine protease inhibitors

Treatment of soybean (Glycine max L. cv Williams 82) cell-suspension cultures with Pseudomonas syringae pv glycinea (Psg) harboring an avirulence gene (avrA) or with yeast elicitor resulted in an oxidative burst characterized by the accumulation of H2O2. This burst, and the resultant induction of glutathione S-transferase transcripts, occurred more rapidly and was more prolonged if cells were simultaneously treated with serine protease inhibitors such as phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) or diisopropylfluorophosphate. PMSF and diisopropylfluorophosphate potentiate a large oxidative burst in cells exposed to Psg harboring the avrC avirulence gene, which is not recognized by the soybean cultivar used in this study. The potentiated burst was inhibited by diphenylene iodonium, an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase, and by the protein kinase inhibitor K252a. PMSF treatment of elicited cells or cells exposed to Psg:avrA caused a large increase in the accumulation of the isoflavonoid phytoalexin glyceollin; however, this was not associated with increased levels of transcripts encoding key phytoalexin biosynthetic enzymes. Glyceollin accumulation was inhibited by diphenylene iodonium; however, the oxidative burst in cells treated with Psg:avrC and PMSF was not followed by phytoalexin accumulation. We conclude that active oxygen species from the oxidative burst are necessary but not sufficient for inducing isoflavonoid phytoalexin accumulation in soybean cells.

Journal Article↗

Characterization of two novel type I ribosome-inactivating proteins from the storage roots of the andean crop Mirabilis expansa.

Two novel type I ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) were found in the storage roots of Mirabilis expansa, an underutilized Andean root crop. The two RIPs, named ME1 and ME2, were purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation, cation-exchange perfusion chromatography, and C4 reverse-phase chromatography. The two proteins were found to be similar in size (27 and 27.5 kD) by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and their isoelectric points were determined to be greater than pH 10.0. Amino acid N-terminal sequencing revealed that both ME1 and ME2 had conserved residues characteristic of RIPs. Amino acid composition and western-blot analysis further suggested a structural similarity between ME1 and ME2. ME2 showed high similarity to the Mirabilis jalapa antiviral protein, a type I RIP. Depurination of yeast 26S rRNA by ME1 and ME2 demonstrated their ribosome-inactivating activity. Because these two proteins were isolated from roots, their antimicrobial activity was tested against root-rot microorganisms, among others. ME1 and ME2 were active against several fungi, including Pythium irregulare, Fusarium oxysporum solani, Alternaria solani, Trichoderma reesei, and Trichoderma harzianum, and an additive antifungal effect of ME1 and ME2 was observed. Antibacterial activity of both ME1 and ME2 was observed against Pseudomonas syringae, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Agrobacterium radiobacter, and others.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Leucine aminopeptidase RNAs, proteins, and activities increase in response to water deficit, salinity, and the wound signals systemin, methyl jasmonate, and abscisic acid

LapA RNAs, proteins, and activities increased in response to systemin, methyl jasmonate, abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene, water deficit, and salinity in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). Salicylic acid inhibited wound-induced increases of LapA RNAs. Experiments using the ABA-deficient flacca mutant indicated that ABA was essential for wound and systemin induction of LapA, and ABA and systemin acted synergistically to induce LapA gene expression. In contrast, pin2 (proteinase inhibitor 2) was not dependent on exogenous ABA. Whereas both LapA and le4 (L. esculentum dehydrin) were up-regulated by increases in ABA, salinity, and water deficit, only LapA was regulated by octadecanoid pathway signals. Comparison of LapA expression with that of the PR-1 (pathogenesis-related 1) and GluB (basic beta-1,3-glucanase) genes indicated that these PR protein genes were modulated by a systemin-independent jasmonic acid-signaling pathway. These studies showed that at least four signaling pathways were utilized during tomato wound and defense responses. Analysis of the expression of a LapA1:GUS gene in transgenic plants indicated that the LapA1 promoter was active during floral and fruit development and was used during vegetative growth only in response to wounding, Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato infection, or wound signals. This comprehensive understanding of the regulation of LapA genes indicated that this regulatory program is distinct from the wound-induced pin2, ABA-responsive le4, and PR protein genes.

Journal Article↗

Local and systemic induction of two defense-related subtilisin-like protease promoters in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Luciferin induction of PR gene expression.

Following a pathogenic attack, plants are able to mount a defense response with the coordinated activation of a battery of defense-related genes. In this study we have characterized the mode of expression of the P69B and P69C genes from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), which encodes two closely related subtilisin-like proteases associated with the defense response. We have compared the mode of gene regulation in heterologous transgenic Arabidopsis plants harboring promoter-beta-glucuronidase (GUS) and promoter-luciferase (LUC) gene fusions for these two genes. These studies revealed that the P69B and P69C promoters are induced by salicylic acid as well as during the course of both a compatible and an incompatible interaction with Pseudomonas syringae. Furthermore, P69B and P69C expression takes place in both the local and the distal (noninoculated) leaves upon inoculation with bacteria but following different and unique tissue-specific patterns of expression that are also different to that described for most other classical PR genes. Also, we report that luciferin, the substrate for the reporter luciferase (LUC) gene, is able to activate expression of PR genes, and this may pose a problem when using this gene reporter system in studies related to plant defense.

Arabidopsis↗

A leaf lipoxygenase of potato induced specifically by pathogen infection.

Lipoxygenase (LOX) activity has been identified consistently during pathogen-induced defense responses. Here we report the involvement of a specific leaf LOX gene of potato (Solanum tuberosum), designated POTLX-3 (GenBank/EMBL accession no. U60202), in defense responses against pathogens. The sequence of POTLX-3 does not match any other LOX genes of potato and has the greatest match to a tobacco LOX gene that contributes to a resistance mechanism against Phytophthora parasitica var nicotianae. POTLX-3 transcript accumulation was not detected in untreated, healthy potato organs or in wounded mature leaves. POTLX-3 mRNA accumulation was induced in potato leaves treated with ethylene or methyl jasmonate or infected with either virulent or avirulent strains of Phytophthora infestans, the causal agent of late blight. During the resistance response, POTLX-3 was induced within 6 hours, increased steadily through 24 hours, and its mRNA continued to accumulate for a week after inoculation. In contrast, when a plant was susceptible to P. infestans, induction of mRNA accumulation in response to inoculation was inconsistent and delayed. LOX activity assayed during an incompatible interaction in leaves peaked 3 days earlier than during a compatible interaction. POTLX-3 mRNA accumulation also was induced during hypersensitive response development caused by the incompatible pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv phaseolicola. Our results show that POTLX-3 may be involved specifically in defense responses against pathogen infection.

Blotting, Northern↗