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Internuclear gene silencing in Phytophthora infestans
P van West1, S Kamoun, J W van 't Klooster
1Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen Agricultural University Graduate School of Experimental Plant Sciences, The Netherlands. p.vanwest@abdn.ac.uk
Molecular Cell
|April 13, 1999
Summary
Gene silencing in Phytophthora infestans is dominant and trans-acting, mediated by a trans-acting factor. This silencing mechanism, similar to paramutation, can be maintained without the initial transgenes.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Plant Pathology
- Oomycete Genetics
Background:
- Phytophthora infestans, an oomycete, causes significant plant diseases.
- Elicitin genes, like inf1, play roles in pathogen-host interactions.
- Understanding gene regulation in oomycetes is crucial for disease control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanism of transcriptional gene silencing of the elicitin gene inf1 in Phytophthora infestans.
- To determine if gene silencing is dominant and acts in trans.
- To explore the stability and maintenance of gene silencing.
Main Methods:
- Transformation of Phytophthora infestans with various constructs of the inf1 gene (antisense, sense, promoter-less).
- Somatic cell fusion to create heterokaryons between silenced and wild-type strains.
- Analysis of gene expression in transgenic strains, heterokaryons, and subsequent homokaryotic progeny.
Main Results:
- Transformation led to transcriptional silencing of both transgenes and the endogenous inf1 gene.
- inf1 silencing was found to be dominant and act in trans, as demonstrated in heterokaryons.
- Silencing was stably maintained in nontransgenic progeny, indicating transgene independence for maintenance.
Conclusions:
- A dominant, trans-acting silencing mechanism for inf1 exists in Phytophthora infestans.
- The findings suggest a paramutation-like process involving a trans-acting factor that transfers a silencing signal.
- This study provides insights into epigenetic gene regulation in oomycetes.