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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Kearneysville, West Virginia » Appalachian Fruit Research Laboratory » Innovative Fruit Production, Improvement, and Protection » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #213758
Title: Identification and mapping of genes differentially expressed during interaction of resistant and susceptible apple cultivars (Malus x domestica) with Erwinia amylovora

Author
item MALNOY, MICKAEL - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item Baldo, Angela
item BOREJSZA-WYSOCKA, EWA - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item Norelli, John
item FARRELL, JR., ROBERT - PENN STATE UNIVERSITY
item Bassett, Carole
item ALDWINCKLE, HERB - CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Acta Horticulturae
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/4/2008
Publication Date: 6/1/2008
Citation: Malnoy, M., Baldo, A.M., Borejsza-Wysocka, E., Norelli, J.L., Farrell, Jr., R.E., Bassett, C.L., Aldwinckle, H.S. 2008. Identification and mapping of genes differentially expressed during interaction of resistant and susceptible apple cultivars (Malus x domestica) with Erwinia amylovora. Acta Horticulturae. 793:195-199.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The necrogenic enterobacterium, Erwinia amylovora (Ea) is the causal agent of the fire blight (FB) disease of many Rosaceae species, including apple and pear. During the infection process, the bacteria induce an oxidative stress response with kinetics similar to those induced in an incompatible bacteria-plant interaction. In order to understand the mechanisms that distinguish resistant and susceptible responses in FB resistant and susceptible apple genotypes after inoculation with Ea, differentially expressed genes were identified by cDNA-AFLP analysis. cDNA was isolated from M.26 (susceptible) and Geneva.41 (G.41, resistant) apple tissues collected 2 and 48h after challenge with a virulent Ea strain or mock (buffer) inoculated. To identify differentially expressed transcripts, electrophoretic banding patterns were obtained from cDNAs treated using two cDNA-AFLP kits in order to maximize discovery of EST's associated with response to Ea. In the AFLP experiments, using both kits, M.26 and G.41, showed different patterns of expression, including genes specifically induced, not induced, or repressed by Ea. In total, 190 EST's differentially expressed between M.26 and G41 were identified and cloned using 42 pairs of AFLP primers. Blast analysis of the EST sequences identified three major classes of genes encoding proteins involved in perception, signaling, and defense. cDNA-AFLP analysis was successful in identifying ESTs differentially modulated in a resistant and a susceptible apple genotype in response to Ea. The time course of expression of some of these EST's is in the process of being analyzed, and selected EST's will be silenced in apple. This project is supported by a National Research Initiative Competitive Grant 2005-35300-15462 from the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.