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ISSN: 0894-0282

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Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions

Editor-in-Chief: Jonathan Walton
Published by APS PRESS in cooperation with the
International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions

MPMI Impact Factor Rises Above 4.0

April 2008, Volume 21, Number 4
Pages 480-489
DOI: 10.1094/MPMI-21-4-0480

Functional Characterization of a Gene Family Encoding Polygalacturonases in Phytophthora parasitica

Chih-Hang Wu,1 Hao-Zhi Yan,1 Li-Fei Liu,2 and Ruey-Fen Liou1,3

1Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, 2Department of Agronomy, and 3Institute of Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan


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 Open Access.

Phytophthora parasitica is an oomycete plant pathogen that causes severe disease in a wide variety of plant species. In our previous study, we discovered a multigene family encoding endopolygalacturonases (endoPG) in Phytophthora parasitica. Here, we screened the genomic library of Phytophthora parasitica for the genes encoding endoPG named pppg2 through pppg10, and analyzed their functions. Results obtained by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that some of these genes are highly induced during plant infection, which suggests their important roles in the pathogenesis of Phytophthora parasitica. Analysis by in-gel activity assay of recombinant proteins obtained from Pichia pastoris indicated that each of these genes encodes a functional endoPG. Investigation of the function of pppg genes in planta by a Potato virus X agroinfection system in tobacco revealed that each pppg caused specific effects, varying from no symptoms to dwarfism, necrosis, leaf curl, silvery leaf, and cracks in leaf stalks. Appearance of these effects depends on the expression of a pppg protein with a normal active site in the apoplast. These results indicated that each pppg plays a distinct role in the decomposition of plant cell wall.

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Abstract | PDF Print (388 KB) | PDF with Links (316 KB) 
Functional analysis of Pcipg 2 from the straminopilous plant pathogen Phytophthora capsicigenesis Feb 2009NA-NA
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