NmDef02, a novel antimicrobial gene isolated from Nicotiana megalosiphon confers high‐level pathogen resistance under greenhouse and field conditions

• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7652.2010.00501.x
• Publication Date: 2010-03-26T01:58:33Z
• Authors: Roxana Portieles; Camilo Ayra; Ernesto Gonzalez; Araiz Gallo; Raisa Rodriguez; Osmany Chacón; Yunior López; Mayra Rodriguez; Juan Castillo; Merardo Pujol; Gil Enriquez; Carlos Borroto; Luis Trujillo; Bart P.H.J. Thomma; Orlando Borrás‐Hi...
• Keywords: Phytophthora; Nicotiana; Molecular Sequence Data; dahlia-merckii; components; Defensins; 03 medical and health sciences; expression; Amino Acid Sequence; Cloning, Molecular; Plant Diseases; Solanum tuberosum; 2. Zero hunger; Peronospora; 0303 health sciences; antifungal proteins; Base Sequence; Plants, Genetically Modified; plant defensin; Immunity, Innate; arabidopsis; host-defense; peptides; radish; potato

SummaryPlant defensins are small cysteine‐rich peptides that inhibit the growth of a broad range of microbes. In this article, we describe NmDef02, a novel cDNA encoding a putative defensin isolated from Nicotiana megalosiphon upon inoculation with the tobacco blue mould pathogen Peronospora hyoscyami f.sp. tabacina. NmDef02 was heterologously expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris, and the purified recombinant protein was found to display antimicrobial activity in vitro against important plant pathogens. Constitutive expression of NmDef02 gene in transgenic tobacco and potato plants enhanced resistance against various plant microbial pathogens, including the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, causal agent of the economically important potato late blight disease, under greenhouse and field conditions.