Open AccessFunctional analysis of Botrytis cinerea pectin methylesterase genes by PCR‐based targeted mutagenesis: Bcpme1 and Bcpme2 are dispensable for virulence of strain B05.10
Author(s) -
KARS ILONA,
McCALMAN MELYSIA,
WAGEMAKERS LIA,
VAN KAN JAN A. L.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
molecular plant pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.945
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1364-3703
pISSN - 1464-6722
DOI - 10.1111/j.1364-3703.2005.00312.x
Subject(s) - biology , botrytis cinerea , pectin , virulence , gene , mutant , microbiology and biotechnology , demethylation , pectinase , cloning (programming) , biochemistry , enzyme , gene expression , botany , dna methylation , computer science , programming language
SUMMARY Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic pathogen that produces an array of enzymes capable of attacking the plant cell wall components. We have previously shown that growth of the fungus in planta is accompanied by the degradation of pectin and that endopolygalacturonase ( Bcpg ) genes are expressed during infection of different plant tissues. It was assumed that pectin demethylation by pectin methylesterases (PME) was essential for the subsequent depolymerization by BcPGs to occur efficiently. We report here on the functional analysis of two Bcpme genes in strain B05.10, using a gene‐replacement approach. The method used for the generation of constructs for gene replacement in B. cinerea circumvents the need for cloning and yielded a high proportion of homologous recombinants. Mutants lacking both Bcpme genes are not affected in their growth on highly methylated pectin, nor did they show any reduction in virulence. The results suggest that B. cinerea strain B05.10 can efficiently degrade pectin without prior demethylation.