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Cell‐autonomous complementation of mlo resistance using a biolistic transient expression system
Author(s) -
Shirasu Ken,
Nielsen Kirsten,
Piffanelli Pietro,
Oliver Richard,
SchulzeLefert Paul
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
the plant journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.058
H-Index - 269
eISSN - 1365-313X
pISSN - 0960-7412
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-313x.1999.00376.x
Subject(s) - powdery mildew , complementation , biology , mutant , haustorium , gene , bimolecular fluorescence complementation , wild type , mildew , genetics , host (biology) , botany
Summary The barley geneMloencodes a prototype of a novel class of plant proteins. Inmlomutants, absence of the 60 kDa wild‐type Mlo protein results in broad‐spectrum resistance to the powdery mildew fungus,Erysiphe graminisf. sp.hordei. To directly assess its function,Mlowas transiently expressed with a marker gene encoding a modified green fluorescent protein (GFP) in leaf epidermal cells ofmloresistant barley lines. Fungal inoculation of epidermal cells transfected with wild‐typeMloled to haustorium formation and abundant sporulation. Therefore, expression of the wild‐typeMlogene, inmloresistant genotypes, is both necessary and sufficient to restore susceptibility to fungal attack. Complementation ofmloresistance alleles was restricted to single host cells, indicating a cell‐autonomous function for the wild‐type Mlo protein. We discuss our findings with respect to source–sink relationships of plants and biotrophic fungi and the potentially wide‐ranging use of the transient complementation assay to analyse host compatibility and defence in response to powdery mildew attack.