Open AccessThe chili pepper CaATL1: an AT‐hook motif‐containing transcription factor implicated in defence responses against pathogens
Author(s) -
KIM SOOYONG,
KIM YOUNGCHEOL,
SEONG EUN SOO,
LEE YONGHWAN,
PARK JEONG MEE,
CHOI DOIL
Publication year - 2007
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.1364-3703.2007.00427.x
Subject(s) - biology , complementary dna , methyl jasmonate , pepper , repressor lexa , gene , oomycete , fusion protein , transcription factor , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , repressor , recombinant dna , horticulture
SUMMARY Using cDNA microarray analysis, we isolated a cDNA clone, CaATL1 ( Capsicum annuum L. Bukang AT‐hook‐Like gene 1 ), from a chili pepper plant incompatibly interacting with bacterial pathogens. The deduced amino acid sequence has a potential nuclear localization sequence and an AT‐hook DNA binding motif which can bind AT‐rich sequence elements. Expression of CaATL1 was specifically induced in host‐ and non‐host‐resistant responses against bacterial and viral pathogens in pepper plants. In addition, CaATL1 transcripts also increased following salicylic acid and ethephone treatment but were only mildly induced by methyl‐jasmonate treatment. CaATL1::smGFP (soluble‐modified green fluorescent protein) fusion protein localized to nuclei in tobacco BY2 protoplasts. The C‐terminal region of the CaATL1 protein fused to the LexA DNA binding domain was able to activate reporter gene expression in yeast. To analyse further the role of the CaATL1 in pathogen defence response, we generated CaATL1 ‐over‐expressing transgenic tomato plants. These transgenic plants showed enhanced disease resistance against bacterial and oomycete pathogens. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence of a role for a plant AT‐hook motif‐containing transcription factor in pathogen defence response.