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The hrpN gene of Erwinia amylovora stimulates tobacco growth and enhances resistance to Botrytis cinerea

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Abstract

Erwinia amylovora is a member of the harpin proteins that induces pathogen resistance and hypersensitive cell death in plants. To obtain tobacco plants displaying a hypersensitive response, the hrpN gene from Erwinia amylovora was cloned into vector pMJC-GB under the control of the rice cytochrome promoter and transfected into tobacco. Southern hybridization with a hrpN probe revealed that the gene was present in one copy in the transgenic plants. In addition, hrpN transcripts could be detected in transgenic plants but not in wild-type tobacco. The wild type gave 75 products in RAPD analysis with 12 primers while the transgenic plants gave 73, suggesting that hrpN gene had been integrated into the transgenic plant genomic DNA. The distribution of cell cycle phases in the wild type and transgenic plants was G0-G1: 71.25%, G2-M: 20.41%, S: 8.33%, while in transgenic plant was G0-G1: 54.95%, G2-M: 43.82%, S: 10.23%. The sizes of stomata and guard cells on transgenic leaves were similar to those of the wild type, but the epidermal cells were clearly smaller. The transgenic plants showed accelerated growth and development as well as enhanced resistance to Botrytis cinerea.

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Abbreviations

HR:

Hypersensitive response

PI:

Propidium iodide

SEM:

Scanning electron microscopy

RAPD:

Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biotechnology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Kangwon-do, 200-701, South Korea

    Young-Sun Jang & Myeong-Hyeon Wang

  2. National Crop Experiment Station, Seodun-dong, Kweonsun-gu, Suwon, Kyeongki-do, 441-857, South Korea

    Soo-In Sohn

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  1. Young-Sun Jang
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  2. Soo-In Sohn
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  3. Myeong-Hyeon Wang
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Correspondence to Myeong-Hyeon Wang.

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Young-Sun Jang and Soo-In Sohn are contributed equally to this work

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Jang, YS., Sohn, SI. & Wang, MH. The hrpN gene of Erwinia amylovora stimulates tobacco growth and enhances resistance to Botrytis cinerea . Planta 223, 449–456 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-005-0100-4

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