Open AccessAntisense expression of the calmodulin gene from Colletotrichum trifolii impairs prepenetration development 1
Author(s) -
Warwar Vitor,
Oved Shlomo,
Dickman Martin B.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2000.tb09342.x
Subject(s) - calmodulin , biology , neurospora crassa , gene , appressorium , gene expression , homology (biology) , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , mutant , enzyme
Calmodulin is a ubiquitous highly conserved calcium binding protein involved in cell signalling. Previous studies in our laboratory suggested a role for calmodulin in prepenetration morphogenesis in Colletotrichum trifolii , the causal agent of alfalfa anthracnose. In this report, we describe the cloning, sequencing and partial characterization of the calmodulin gene from C. trifolii . The gene is present as a single copy in the genome of C. trifolii and its predicted amino acid sequence shows considerable homology to other fungal calmodulins. The gene is most highly expressed during conidial germination and appressorial development. Using a Neurospora crassa inducible promoter driving the calmodulin gene in antisense orientation, transformants were obtained with constitutive levels of antisense calmodulin expression. Upon induction, transformants did not develop appressoria and were not pathogenic on alfalfa plants.