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September 5, 2007
Plant disease susceptibility
conferred by a "resistance" gene
Jennifer M. Lorang, Teresa A. Sweat, and Thomas J. Wolpert *
*Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Center for Genome
Research and Biocomputing, Oregon State University, Corvallis,
OR 97331
Edited by Steven P. Briggs, University of California at San
Diego, La Jolla, CA, and approved July 12, 2007 (received for
review March 20, 2007)
ABSTRACT
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0702572104v1?etoc
The molecular nature of many plant
disease resistance (R) genes is known; the largest class encodes
nucleotide-binding site-leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) proteins
that are structurally related to proteins involved in innate
immunity in animals. Few genes conferring disease
susceptibility, on the other hand, have been identified. Recent
identification of susceptibility to the fungus Cochliobolus
victoriae in Arabidopsis thaliana has enabled our cloning of
LOV1, a disease susceptibility gene that, paradoxically, is a
member of the NBS-LRR resistance gene family. We found LOV1
mediates responses associated with defense, but mutations in
known defense response pathways do not prevent susceptibility to
C. victoriae. These findings demonstrate that NBS-LRR genes can
condition disease susceptibility and resistance and may have
implications for R gene deployment.
Author contributions: J.M.L. and T.J.W. designed research;
J.M.L. and T.A.S. performed research; J.M.L., T.A.S., and T.J.W.
analyzed data; and J.M.L. and T.J.W. wrote the paper.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
*To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Thomas J. Wolpert, E-mail:
wolpertt@science.oregonstate.edu
www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0702572104 |
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