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. 1997 Jun 2;16(11):3207–3218. doi: 10.1093/emboj/16.11.3207

The Pto kinase conferring resistance to tomato bacterial speck disease interacts with proteins that bind a cis-element of pathogenesis-related genes.

J Zhou 1, X Tang 1, G B Martin 1
PMCID: PMC1169938  PMID: 9214637

Abstract

In tomato, the Pto kinase confers resistance to bacterial speck disease by recognizing the expression of a corresponding avirulence gene, avrPto, in the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we have identified three genes, Pti4, Pti5 and Pti6, that encode proteins that physically interact with the Pto kinase. Pti4/5/6 each encode a protein with characteristics that are typical of transcription factors and are similar to the tobacco ethylene-responsive element-binding proteins (EREBPs). Using a gel mobility-shift assay, we demonstrate that, similarly to EREBPs, Pti4/5/6 specifically recognize and bind to a DNA sequence that is present in the promoter region of a large number of genes encoding 'pathogenesis-related' (PR) proteins. Expression of several PR genes and a tobacco EREBP gene is specifically enhanced upon Pto-avrPto recognition in tobacco. These observations establish a direct connection between a disease resistance gene and the specific activation of plant defense genes.

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Selected References

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