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Enhanced resistance to early blight in transgenic tomato lines expressing heterologous plant defense genes

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Abstract

Genes coding for an iris ribosomal-inactivating protein (I-RIP), a maize β-glucanase (M-GLU), and a Mirabilis jalapa antimicrobial peptide (Mj-AMP1) were separately introduced into tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Sweet Chelsea) cotyledons via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Transgenic lines carrying each of the transgenes were confirmed for integration into the tomato genome using Southern blot hybridization. Transcription of I-RIP, M-GLU, and Mj-AMP1 genes in various transgenic lines was determined using Northern blot analysis. Plants of selected transgenic lines were inoculated with a 2–3×104 conidial spores/ml suspension of the fungal pathogen Alternaria solani, the causal agent of tomato early blight. Compared to control (non-transformed) plants, two transgenic lines carrying either a M-GLU or Mj-AMP1 showed enhanced resistance to early blight disease. None of the four lines carrying the I-RIP transgene showed increased resistance to early blight.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Syngeta for providing us with clone of Mj-AMP1 . We also thank Dr. Majid Foolad (Penn State) for his advice on preparing the inoculum. This work was supported by funds from the University of Illinois Office of Research Project no. 65–0325.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, 310 ERML, University of Illinois, 1201 W. Gregory, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    Scott C. Schaefer, Ksenija Gasic & Schuyler S. Korban

  2. Centre voor Microbiële en Plantengenetica, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001, Heverlee, Belgium

    Bruno Cammue & Willem Broekaert

  3. Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Gent University, Gent, Belgium

    Els J. M. van Damme & Willy J. Peumans

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  1. Scott C. Schaefer
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  2. Ksenija Gasic
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  4. Willem Broekaert
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  5. Els J. M. van Damme
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  6. Willy J. Peumans
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  7. Schuyler S. Korban
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Correspondence to Schuyler S. Korban.

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Schaefer, S.C., Gasic, K., Cammue, B. et al. Enhanced resistance to early blight in transgenic tomato lines expressing heterologous plant defense genes. Planta 222, 858–866 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-005-0026-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-005-0026-x

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