In vitro and in vivo quantification of elicitin expression in Phytophthora cinnamomi

• Published in: Physiological and molecular plant pathology Vol. 73; no. 1; pp. 48 - 57
• Main Authors: Horta, Marília, Sousa, Nelson, Coelho, Ana C., Neves, Dina, Cravador, Alfredo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier India Pvt Ltd 01-10-2008
• Subjects: Elicitin expression; Gene silencing; Pathogenesis; Phytophthora cinnamomi; Quercus; Quercus suber; Real time RT-PCR; Transformation; Gene silencing; Transformation; Phytophthora cinnamomi; Quercus; Pathogenesis; Real time RT-PCR; Elicitin expression
• ISSN: 0885-5765; 1096-1178
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pmpp.2009.02.003

The differential expression of four
Phytophthora cinnamomi elicitin genes was analysed by Real Time RT-PCR. In
in vitro cultures, the
α-cinnamomin gene showed the highest level of expression, the
β-cinnamomin gene (
β-cin) was the most inducible, and the
HAE transcripts were in low abundance. Transcription of all the elicitins was active during the active growth of the pathogen when infecting cork oak (
Quercus suber) roots, and as host colonization progressed, the level of
β-cin expression fell, while that of
α-cin rose. In an antisense transgenic strain, the silencing of
β-cin also negatively affected the expression of other elicitin genes in the cluster. The reduced
in planta growth of the
β-cin knock-out is related to the altered pattern of elicitin gene expression, supporting the idea that one of the functions of elicitins is related, directly or indirectly, with pathogenesis.