microbiology, Vol 144, 3343-3349, Copyright © 1998 by Society for General Microbiology
Heterologous expression of a basic elicitin from Phytophthora cryptogea in Phytophthora infestans increases its ability to cause leaf necrosis in tobacco
F Panabieres, PR Birch, SE Unkles, M Ponchet, I Lacourt, P Venard, H Keller, V Allasia, P Ricci and JM Duncan
Station de Botanique et de Pathologie Vegetale, INRA, Antibes, France.
The cry-b sequence, encoding a basic elicitin (cryptogein B) from
Phytophthora cryptogea, was co-transformed into Phytophthora infestans. The
copy number of the cry-b sequence varied in co-transformants. Nevertheless,
in all cases the alien elicitin gene was transcribed, translated and the
protein secreted in vitro from such transformants. Moreover, the secreted
cryptogein B from P. infestans co-transformants increased their ability to
cause a hypersensitive-response-like necrosis of tobacco leaves. It was
thus concluded that the transfer of a single gene encoding a basic elicitin
from one Phytophthora species to another can dramatically alter the
phenotypic interaction of the transformed species with tobacco.
