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Title: TRANSGENIC EXPRESSION OF TRI101 OR PDR5 GENES INCREASES THE RESISTANCE OF TOBACCO PLANTS TO THE PHYTOTOXIC EFFECTS OF FUSARIUM MYCOTOXINS

Author
item Muhitch, Michael
item McCormick, Susan
item Alexander, Nancy
item HOHN, THOMAS - NOVARTIS, RTP, NC

Submitted to: American Society of Plant Physiologists Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/19/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Antibiotic-producing organisms protect themselves from their own toxins by metabolic alteration of the compound, modification of the target site of action, or by exporting the compound to the extracellular space. We have tested the effectiveness of adapting two of these strategies, metabolic alteration and extracellular transport, to protect plant cells from the deleterious effects of the trichothecene 4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS). Tobacco plants were transformed with either the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene PDR5, which encodes a multi-drug transporter, or with the Fusarium sporotrichioides gene TRI101, which encodes a trichothecene 3-O-acetyltransferase. Both genes conferred significant increased tolerance to DAS as measured by a sensitive seed germination assay. Expression of PDR5 or TRI101 in a seed-specific manner in crop plants such as wheat could lower the incidence of head blight as well as reduce mycotoxin levels within the seed.