Constitutive expression of two pathogenesis-related genes in tomato plants enhanced resistance to oomycete pathogen Phytophthora capsici

• Published in: Plant cell, tissue and organ culture tissue and organ culture, 2006-07, Vol.86 (1), p.7-14
• Main Authors: Sarowar, S, Kim, Y.J, Kim, E.N, Kim, K.D, Choi, J.Y, Hyung, N.I, Shin, J.S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ascorbate peroxidase; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Capsicum annuum; disease resistance; Eukaryotic cell cultures; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; fungal diseases of plants; gene expression; gene transfer; genes; Lycopersicon esculentum; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Miscellaneous; Oomycetes; pathogenesis-related proteins; pathogenicity; Phytophthora capsici; plant breeding; Plant cells and fungal cells; plant pathogenic bacteria; plant pathogenic fungi; protein synthesis; Pseudomonas syringae; Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato; Solanum lycopersicum var. lycopersicum; tomatoes; transgenic plants
• ISSN: 0167-6857; 1573-5044
• DOI: 10.1007/s11240-006-9090-6

The potential role of two pathogen-induced pepper genes, encoding basic pathogenesis-related protein 1 (CABPR1) and ascorbate peroxidase-like 1 (CAPOA1), in tolerance against phytopathogens was examined in transgenic tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum cv. House Momotaro) plants. Polymerase chain reaction and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analyses using gene-specific primers revealed that the pepper CABPR1 and CAPOA1 genes were integrated into the tomato genome. The constitutive expression of CABPR1 and CAPOA1 in the tomato did not exhibit any morphological abnormalities. However, these transgenic tomato plants showed enhanced tolerance to the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora capsici, and very weak resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. These results suggest that overexpression of CABPR1 and CAPOA1 in tomato plants altered their resistance responses to pathogenic attack.