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Genes expressed in zoospores of Phytophthora nicotianae

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Abstract

The genus Phytophthora includes many highly destructive plant pathogens. In many Phytophthora species, pathogen dispersal and initiation of plant infection are achieved by motile, biflagellate zoospores that are chemotactically attracted to suitable infection sites. In order to study gene expression in zoospores, we have constructed a cDNA library using mRNA from zoospores of Phytophthora nicotianae. The library was arrayed and screened using probes derived from mycelium or zoospore mRNA. More than 400 clones representing genes preferentially expressed in zoospores were identified and sequenced from the 5′ end of the insert. The expressed sequence tags (ESTs) generated were found to represent 240 genes. The ESTs were compared to sequences in GenBank and in the Phytophthora Genome Consortium database, and classified according to putative function based on homology to known proteins. To further characterize the identified genes, a colony array was created on replicate nylon filters and screened with probes derived from four Phytophthora developmental stages including zoospores, germinating cysts, vegetative mycelium and sporulating hyphae, and from inoculated and uninoculated tobacco seedlings. Data from sequence analysis and colony array screening were compiled into a local database, and searched to identify genes that are preferentially expressed in zoospores for future functional analysis.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Anne Mackenzie and Val Maclean for excellent technical help and Jerry Marshall for conceptual initiation of the project. This work was supported in part by a National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada postdoctoral fellowship to D. Š.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cooperative Research Centre for Tropical Plant Protection and Plant Cell Biology Group, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, ACT 2601, Canberra, Australia

    D. Škalamera, A. P. Wasson & A. R. Hardham

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  1. D. Škalamera
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  2. A. P. Wasson
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  3. A. R. Hardham
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Correspondence to D. Škalamera.

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Communicated by C. A. M. J. J. van den Hondel

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Škalamera, D., Wasson, A.P. & Hardham, A.R. Genes expressed in zoospores of Phytophthora nicotianae . Mol Genet Genomics 270, 549–557 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00438-003-0946-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00438-003-0946-8

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