Summary
The research in our laboratory is focused on elucidating the molecular basis of the gene-for-gene interaction with the aim to eventually exploit its mechanism in practical plant breeding. We have chosen the fungus Cladosporium fulvum, the causal agent of tomato leaf mould, as a model. Recently we reported the first cloning of the fungal avirulence gene, avr9, from C. fulvum. The fact that the product of avr9 induces HR, one of the primary defense mechanisms associated with other important defense responses opens great possibilities for the development of crop plants with broad spectrum resistance to various plant pathogens. The principle of the method by which we hope to achieve this goal will be discussed in detail during the symposium. The following is a short summary: Transformation of Cf9 cultivars with an avr9 gene construct, under control of a promoter, that is only locally induced by various pathogens, is presently carried out. This method of transforming Cf9 cultivars with its corresponding avirulence gene creates possibilities of changing race-specific resistance into race-non-specific resistance or even pathogen-non-specific durable resistance. The promoter regulating the gene determines the specificity of the resistance, not the introduced avirulence gene. The resistance mechanism is based on the local induction of HR which is a general defense response active against many pathogens. When the Cf9 resistance gene has been cloned resistant plants can be obtained through transformation with a gene cassette carrying both the resistance and avirulence gene. This method can be used throughout the plant kingdom as long as both genes produce biologically active molecules in the plants of interest. The avr9-Cf9 gene cassette is just an example illustrating the possibilities of the new method. In theory any avirulence-resistance gene cassette combination can be used for this purpose. Emphasis of the presentation will be on the foregoing, but other strategies to obtain resistance to fungi in plants through biotechnological procedures will be presented, including transformation with genes encoding potential antifungal enzymes such as glucanases and chitinases and other antifungal proteins.
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© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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De Wit, P.J.G.M., Van Kan, J.A.L. (1993). Is Durable Resistance Against Fungi Attainable Through Biotechnological Procedures?. In: Jacobs, T., Parlevliet, J.E. (eds) Durability of Disease Resistance. Current Plant Science and Biotechnology in Agriculture, vol 18. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2004-3_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2004-3_5
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