Title
Peptide Biocides for Engineering Bacterial Blight Tolerance and Susceptibility in Cut-flower Anthurium
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-2004
Abstract
Two cultivars of Anthurium andraeanum Hort. hybrids, `Paradise Pink' and `Tropic Flame', were transformed by Agrobacterium to contain gene sequences for Shiva-1, a cecropin-based lytic peptide. The antibacterial gene was driven by a 35-35S cauliflower mosaic viral (35-35S CaMV) promoter and the construct included the secretory signal sequence for pathogenesis-related protein 1b (PR1b). Blight tolerance of regenerated plants was tested by inoculation with a virulent strain of Xanthomonas axonopodis (formerly campestris) pv. dieffenbachiae (Xad) that is bioluminescent to allow detection of symptomless infections in Shiva-1 transformants. Primary regenerants for two Shiva-1 transgenic lines of `Paradise Pink' displayed significantly enhanced tolerance to bacterial blight over blight susceptible `Rudolph' and even the blight tolerant `Kalapana'. Two Shiva-1 transgenic lines of `Tropic Flame' showed no improved resistance when compared to the control at the mean percent leaf infection level. One Shiva-1 transgenic line of `Tropic Flame' was unexpectedly more susceptible to blight than the nontransgenic control. Low expression of Shiva-1 observed in this line is hypothesized to be the cause of its increased susceptibility to Xad.
Recommended Citation
Kuehnle, A. R., Fujii, R., Chen, F. C., Alvarez, A., Sugii, N., Fukui, R., and Aragon, S. L. 2004. Peptide biocides for engineering bacterial blight tolerance and susceptibility in cut flower anthurium. HortScience 39:1327-1331.