Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #133729
Title: CHANGES IN BETA-1, 3-GLUCANASE MRNA LEVELS IN PEACH IN RESPONSE TO TREATMENT WITH PATHOGEN CULTURE FILTRATES, WOUNDING, AND OTHER ELICITORS

Author
item ZEMANEK, AMY - UNIV. OF ILLINOIS
item KO, TAE-SEOK - UNIV. OF ILLINOIS
item THIMMAPURAM, JYOTHI - UNIV. OF ILLINOIS
item Hammerschlag, Freddi
item KORBAN, SCHUYLER - UNIV. OF ILLINOIS

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/26/2002
Publication Date: 3/20/2002
Citation: Zemanek, A.B., Ko, T., Thimmapuram, J., Hammerschlag, F.A., Korban, S.S. 2002. Changes in beta-1, 3-glucanase mrna levels in peach in response to treatment with pathogen culture filtrates, wounding, and other elicitors. Journal of Plant Physiology. 159:877-889

Interpretive Summary: Plant B-1,3-glucanases have been well investigated in herbaceous plants and these enzymes appear to be coordinately expressed along with chitinases following pathogen infection, wounding, ethylene treatment and chemical stress. The role of these enzymes as a defense mechanism of many woody species to pathogen infection has yet to be determined. Recently, two B-1,3-glucanase genes from peach, PpGns1 and PpGns2 were isolated, cloned and characterized. Studies indicate that PPGns1 encodes a functionally active protein whereas PpGns2 appears to be tissue-specific and developmentally regulated. In the present study, the effects of three peach pathogen culture filtrates (CF) and other agents on expression of these glucanase genes in several peach genotypes was investigated. All the peach genotypes exposed to CF of either the important fungal pathogen Monilinia fructicola and all genotypes exposed to the important bacterial pathogens Xanthomonas campestris pv. pruni or Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae exhibited an increase in B-1, 3-glucanase mRNA although the timing and level of abundance of the mRNA varied among the genotypes. These results should be of value to both Plant Pathologists and Plant Breeders interested in understanding and increasing levels of disease resistance in peach and related species.

Technical Abstract: The response of three different peach, Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, genotypes to bacterial and fungal culture filtrates (Cfs), wounding, and sterile nutrient broth (NB) treatments were studied by evaluating B-1, 3-glucanase mRNA levels. Northern blot analysis was conducted using the 3' end of a peach b-1,3-glucanase gene, PpGns1, as a probe. Autoradiographs were analyzed using a Stratagene Eagle Eye II gel documentation system. Analysis of accumulation of mRNAs encoded by B-1,3-glucanase demonstrated that activation trends were different among the three peach genotypes. All genotypes, `Evergreen', `Stark's Earliglo', and `White Lady', showed an increase in B-1,3-glucanase mRNA following treatment with CF of the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, and two genotypes, `Evergreen' and `Stark's Earliglo' showed and increase in mRNA levels following treatment with CF of the fungal pathogen Monilinia fructicola. Differences in induction patterns were observed between bacterial and fungal culture filtrate treatments. Wounding induced high levels of B-1,3-glucanase in one genotype, `White Lady', while treatment with a sterile nutrient broth showed an increase in mRNA in another genotype, `Evergreen'. The use of gene-specific primers in RT-PCR indicated that PpGnsI and a second closely-related gene family member, PpGns2, were transcriptionally active and were differentially regulated.