Transgenic maize plants expressing the Totivirus antifungal protein, KP4, are highly resistant to corn smut.
Summary of "Transgenic maize plants expressing the Totivirus antifungal protein, KP4, are highly resistant to corn smut."
The corn smut fungus, Ustilago maydis, is a global pathogen responsible for extensive agricultural losses. Control of corn smut using traditional breeding has met with limited success because natural resistance to U. maydis is organ specific and involves numerous maize genes. Here, we present a transgenic approach by constitutively expressing the Totivirus antifungal protein KP4, in maize. Transgenic maize plants expressed high levels of KP4 with no apparent negative impact on plant development and displayed robust resistance to U. maydis challenges to both the stem and ear tissues in the greenhouse. More broadly, these results demonstrate that a high level of organ independent fungal resistance can be afforded by transgenic expression of this family of antifungal proteins.
Affiliation
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis, MO, USA Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
Journal Details
This article was published in the following journal.
Name: Plant biotechnology journal
ISSN: 1467-7652
Pages:
Links
- PubMed Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21303448
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7652.2011.00590.x
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Vaccines, Edible
Vaccines or candidate vaccines derived from edible plants. Transgenic plants (PLANTS, TRANSGENIC) are used as recombinant protein production systems and the edible plant tissue functions as an oral vaccine.
Plantibodies
Recombinant antibodies produced in TRANSGENIC PLANTS. The plants serve as BIOREACTORS to produce the antibodies for medical use or industrial processes.
Trichodermin
Antifungal metabolite from several fungi, mainly Trichoderma viride; inhibits protein synthesis by binding to ribosomes; proposed as antifungal and antineoplastic; used as tool in cellular biochemistry.
Tropolone
A seven-membered aromatic ring compound. It is structurally related to a number of naturally occurring antifungal compounds (ANTIFUNGAL AGENTS).
Mads Domain Proteins
A superfamily of proteins that share a highly conserved MADS domain sequence motif. The term MADS refers to the first four members which were MCM1 PROTEIN; AGAMOUS 1 PROTEIN; DEFICIENS PROTEIN; and SERUM RESPONSE FACTOR. Many MADS domain proteins have been found in species from all eukaryotic kingdoms. They play an important role in development, especially in plants where they have an important role in flower development.
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