Expression of the Bs2 pepper gene confers resistance to bacterial spot disease in tomato

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1999-11, Vol.96 (24), p.14153-14158
• Main Authors: Tai, T.H, Dahlbeck, D, Clark, E.T, Gajiwala, P, Pasion, R, Whalen, M.C, Stall, R.E, Staskawicz, B.J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agrobacterium tumefaciens; Amino Acid Sequence; amino acid sequences; avrBs2 gene; Bacteria; Base Sequence; Biological Sciences; Botany; Bs2 gene; Capsicum; Capsicum annuum; Chromosome Mapping; Cosmids; defense mechanisms; Disease; Disease resistance; DNA; DNA, Plant; genbank/af202179; Gene Expression; gene transfer; Genes; Genes, Plant; Genetic loci; Genetic screening; genetic transformation; Genetic Vectors; Genomics; hypersensitive response; Introns; loci; Lycopersicon esculentum; Molecular Sequence Data; Nicotiana; Nicotiana benthamiana; nucleotide sequences; Peppers; Plant Diseases; plant diseases and disorders; plant proteins; Plant Proteins - biosynthesis; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plants; Plants, Medicinal; Plants, Toxic; Polymerase chain reaction; Rhizobium; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Solanum lycopersicum; Solanum lycopersicum var. lycopersicum; Tomatoes; transgenic plants; Xanthomonas campestris; Xanthomonas campestris - pathogenicity; Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.96.24.14153

The Bs2 resistance gene of pepper specifically recognizes and confers resistance to strains of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria that contain the corresponding bacterial avirulence gene, avrBs2. The involvement of avrBs2 in pathogen fitness and its prevalence in many X. campestris pathovars suggests that the Bs2 gene may be durable in the field and provide resistance when introduced into other plant species. Employing a positional cloning strategy, the Bs2 locus was isolated and the gene was identified by coexpression with avrBs2 in an Agrobacterium-mediated transient assay. A single candidate gene, predicted to encode motifs characteristic of the nucleotide binding site-leucine-rich repeat class of resistance genes, was identified. This gene specifically controlled the hypersensitive response when transiently expressed in susceptible pepper and tomato lines and in a nonhost species, Nicotiana benthamiana, and was designated as Bs2. Functional expression of Bs2 in stable transgenic tomatoes supports its use as a source of resistance in other Solanaceous plant species.