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Disease resistance gene transcription in transgenic potato is unaltered by temperature extremes and plant physiological age

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Abstract

To date, several dozen plant disease resistance genes have been cloned from a variety of species. Despite successful efforts to isolate functional disease resistance genes and understand their roles in defence responses, surprisingly little is known about their transcriptional regulation. Global climate changes are expected to impact crop plant production, plant physiology and plant-microbe interactions. Understanding the impact of varying environmental and physiological factors on disease resistance gene transcript levels may be key to successful deployment. In this study we analyzed the expression patterns of the Phytophthora infestans resistance gene RB in transgenic potato plants across a broad range of temperatures and key physiological stages. Our results demonstrate that while temperature extremes have an obvious effect on plant morphology and development, RB is transcribed at all ages and temperatures in all genetic backgrounds. Quantitative analyses demonstrate that the RB transcript accumulates comparably throughout plant development, including at the tuber initiation stage. Implications for successful deployment of RB are discussed.

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Abbreviations

NBS-LRR:

Nucleotide binding site-leucine rich repeat

R gene:

Resistance gene

RT-PCR:

Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction

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Acknowledgements

Funding for this project was provided by the Grant-in-Aid program of the University of Minnesota Graduate School and by the Minnesota Area II Potato Growers Research and Promotion Council. The authors gratefully acknowledge computer resources provided by the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute. This is contribution #234 from the Department of Soil, Plant, Environmental and Animal Production Sciences, University of Naples Federico II.

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  1. Massimo Iorizzo

    Present address: Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin, 1575 Linden Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, 495 Borlaug Hall, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

    Massimo Iorizzo, Dimitre S. Mollov & James M. Bradeen

  2. Department of Soil, Plant, Environmental, and Animal Production Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, NA, Italy

    Massimo Iorizzo & Domenico Carputo

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  1. Massimo Iorizzo
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  2. Dimitre S. Mollov
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  4. James M. Bradeen
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Correspondence to James M. Bradeen.

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Iorizzo, M., Mollov, D.S., Carputo, D. et al. Disease resistance gene transcription in transgenic potato is unaltered by temperature extremes and plant physiological age. Eur J Plant Pathol 130, 469–476 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-011-9765-7

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