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Transgenic American elm shows reduced Dutch elm disease symptoms and normal mycorrhizal colonization

  • Genetic Transformation and Hybridization
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Abstract

The American elm (Ulmus americana L.) was once one of the most common urban trees in eastern North America until Dutch-elm disease (DED), caused by the fungus Ophiostoma novo-ulmi, eliminated most of the mature trees. To enhance DED resistance, Agrobacterium was used to transform American elm with a transgene encoding the synthetic antimicrobial peptide ESF39A, driven by a vascular promoter from American chestnut. Four unique, single-copy transgenic lines were produced and regenerated into whole plants. These lines showed less wilting and significantly less sapwood staining than non-transformed controls after O. novo-ulmi inoculation. Preliminary observations indicated that mycorrhizal colonization was not significantly different between transgenic and wild-type trees. Although the trees tested were too young to ensure stable resistance was achieved, these results indicate that transgenes encoding antimicrobial peptides reduce DED symptoms and therefore hold promise for enhancing pathogen resistance in American elm.

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Abbreviations

DED:

Dutch-elm disease

GUS:

Beta-glucuronidase

SSC:

Saline sodium citrate

SDS:

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (also known as sodium lauryl sulfate)

PDB:

Potato dextrose broth

PDA:

Potato dextrose agar

MIC:

Minimum inhibitory concentration

AMP:

Anti-microbial peptide

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Acknowledgments

ArborGen, LLC provided funding for this research. Thanks to Drs. Tom Horton and Larry Smart for shared expertise and use of lab equipment. Thanks and best of luck to Nick Kaczmar for carrying on this research. Many thanks to Megan Newhouse for valuable advice, support and encouragement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Environmental and Forest Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Andrew E. Newhouse, Franziska Schrodt & William A. Powell

  2. Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA

    Haiying Liang

  3. Faculty of Forest and Natural Resources Management, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Charles A. Maynard

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  1. Andrew E. Newhouse
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  2. Franziska Schrodt
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  3. Haiying Liang
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  4. Charles A. Maynard
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  5. William A. Powell
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Correspondence to William A. Powell.

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Communicated by L. Jouanin.

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Newhouse, A.E., Schrodt, F., Liang, H. et al. Transgenic American elm shows reduced Dutch elm disease symptoms and normal mycorrhizal colonization. Plant Cell Rep 26, 977–987 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-007-0313-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-007-0313-z

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