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Analysis of late-blight disease resistance and freezing tolerance in transgenic potato plants expressing sense and antisense genes for an osmotin-like protein

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Abstract

The expression patterns of plant defense genes encoding osmotin and osmotin-like proteins imply a dual function in osmotic stress and plant pathogen defense. We have produced transgenic potato (Solanum commersonii Dun.) plants constitutively expressing sense or antisense RNAs from chimeric gene constructs consisting of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and a cDNA (pA13) for an osmotin-like protein. Transgenic potato plants expressing high levels of the pA13 osmotin-like protein showed an increased tolerance to the late-blight fungus Phytophthora infestans at various phases of infection, with a greater resistance at an early phase of fungal infection. There was a decrease in the accumulation of osmotin-like mRNAs and proteins when antisense transformants were challenged by fungal infection, although the antisense transformants did not exhibit any alterations in disease susceptibility. Expression of pA13 sense and antisense RNAs had no effect on the development of freezing tolerance in transgenic plants when assayed under a variety of conditions including treatments with abscisic acid or low temperature. These results provide evidence of antifungal activity for a potato osmotin-like protein against the fungus P. infestans, but do not indicate that pA13 osmotin-like protein is a major determinant of freezing tolerance.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

abscisic acid

CaMV:

cauliflower mosaic virus

PR:

pathogenesis-related

T0 :

primary transformant

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Author notes

  1. Baolong Zhu

    Present address: Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, 92521, Riverside, CA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Plant Hardiness, Department of Horticultural Sciences and Plant Biological Sciences Program, University of Minnesota, 55108, St. Paul, MN, USA

    Baolong Zhu & Paul H. Li

  2. Department of Horticulture, Center for Gene Research and Biotechnology, Oregon State University, 97331, Corvallis, OR, USA

    Tony H. H. Chen

Authors
  1. Baolong Zhu
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  2. Tony H. H. Chen
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  3. Paul H. Li
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Baolong Zhu.

Additional information

We thank Drs N.E. Olszewski, A.G. Smith, and D.A. Samac at the University of Minnesota for critical reading of this manuscript. We also thank Dr R. A. Bressan at Purdue University for anti-osmotin antibodies. We are grateful to Dr P.B. Hamm at Oregon State University for Phytophthora infestans cultures. Scientific Journal Series Paper No 21303 of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.

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Zhu, B., Chen, T.H.H. & Li, P.H. Analysis of late-blight disease resistance and freezing tolerance in transgenic potato plants expressing sense and antisense genes for an osmotin-like protein. Planta 198, 70–77 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00197588

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00197588

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