The performance of pathogenic bacterial phytosensing transgenic tobacco in the field. Issue 6 (11th March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fethe, Michael H.; Liu, Wusheng; Burris, Jason N.; Millwood, Reginald J.; Mazarei, Mitra; Rudis, Mary R.; Yeaman, Duncan G.; Dubosquielle, Marion; Stewart, Charles Neal
• Is Part Of: Plant biotechnology journal. Volume 12:Issue 6(2014:Aug.)
• Page Start: 755
• Page End: 764
• Publication Date: 2014-03-11
• Subjects: Plant biotechnology -- Periodicals; Plant genetic engineering -- Periodicals; 630.272
• DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12180
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1467-7644

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="pbi12180-abs-0001"> <title>Summary</title> <p>Phytosensors are useful for rapid‐on‐the‐plant detection of contaminants and agents that cause plant stress. Previously, we produced a series of plant pathogen‐inducible synthetic promoters fused to an orange fluorescent protein (OFP) reporter gene and transformed them into tobacco and <italic>Arabidopsis thaliana</italic> plants; in these transgenic lines, an OFP signal is expressed commensurate with the presence of plant pathogens. We report here the results of 2 years of field experiments using a subset of these bacterial phytosensing tobacco plants. Time‐course analysis of field‐grown phytosensors showed that a subset of plants responded predictably to treatments with <italic>Pseudomonas</italic> phytopathogens. There was a twofold induction in the OFP fluorescence driven by two distinct salicylic acid‐responsive synthetic promoters, 4 × PR1 and 4 × SARE. Most notably, transgenic plants containing 4 × PR1 displayed the earliest and highest OFP induction at 48 and 72 h postinoculation (h p.i.) upon inoculation with two phytopathogens <italic>Pseudomonas syringae</italic> pv. <italic>tomato</italic> and <italic>P. syringae</italic> pv. <italic>tabaci</italic>, respectively. These results demonstrate transgenic tobacco harbouring a synthetic inducible promoter‐driven OFP could be used to facilitate monitoring and early‐warning reporting of phytopathogen infections in agricultural fields.</p> </abstract>