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Plant Defense Gene Promoter-Reporter Gene Fusions in Transgenic Plants: Tools for Identification of Novel Inducers

Bio/Technology volume 8, pages 845–848 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

Chalcone synthase (CHS) catalyzes the key regulatory step in the synthesis of a class of plant natural products that function as antibiotics (phytoalexins). Inoculation of leaves of transgenic tobacco containing a CHS promoter-β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene fusion with the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae induces GUS activity across the leaf with highest levels in the tissue immediately surrounding the lesion. We show that GUS activity can also be induced by chemical treatments including an elicitor from microbial cell walls, and by the abiotic insult of HgCl2 treatment. Inducers can be introduced by infiltration into leaves, application to wound sites, and treatment of young seedlings or cell suspension cultures derived from transgenic plants. The response can be monitored by histochemical staining of GUS activity in situ, or fluorimetric assay in cell extracts. Transgenic plants and cells containing the CHS-GUS or other defense gene promoter-reporter gene fusions may therefore provide convenient, sensitive and specific assay systems for screening potential enhancers of natural resistance to disease.

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Author notes

  1. Jürg Schmid

    Present address: Institut für Pflanzenwissenschaften, ETH, Sonneggstrasse 5, CH-8092, Zürich, Switzerland

  2. Christopher J. Lamb: Corresponding author.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037

    Peter W. Doerner & Christopher J. Lamb

  2. Plant Biology Division, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, P.O. Box 2180, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 73402

    Bruce Stermer & Richard A. Dixon

Authors
  1. Peter W. Doerner
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  2. Bruce Stermer
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  3. Jürg Schmid
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  4. Richard A. Dixon
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  5. Christopher J. Lamb
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Doerner, P., Stermer, B., Schmid, J. et al. Plant Defense Gene Promoter-Reporter Gene Fusions in Transgenic Plants: Tools for Identification of Novel Inducers. Nat Biotechnol 8, 845–848 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0990-845

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0990-845

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