EXPRESSION OF PLANT SPECIFIC DOMAIN OF POTATO ASPARTIC PROTEASES (StAPPSI) IN Arabidopsis thaliana CONFERS ENHANCED DISEASE RESISTANCE TO Botrytis cinerea

GUEVARA, M.G.; DALEO, G.R.; FREY, M. E.

Corrientes

Congreso; XXXI Reunión Argentina de Fisiología Vegetal; 2016

SAFV

Plant specific insert (PSI) is a domain present in the precursors and monomeric mature typical plant aspartic proteases (APs). This domain has structural homology with a family of antimicrobial proteins named as saposins like- proteins (SAPLIPs). We have previously reported the cytotoxic activity towards potato pathogens of the recombinant PSI from a Solanum tuberosum aspartic protease (StAP-PSI). The aim of this work was to analyse the resistance to Botrytis cinerea in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines overexpressing StAP-PSI. Results obtained show that StAP-PSI expression reduces in a 45 % leaf area affected by B. cinerea. We determine that, levels of StAP- PSI expression in A. thaliana leaves has a positive correlation with the decrease in the foliar area affected by B. cinerea. Additionally, qPCR analysis demonstrated that, StAP- PSI induces transcript levels of plant defence genes (PR-1, PR-2, PR-5 and WRKY33) during B. cinerea infection. These findings suggest that StAP- PSI expression induce resistance to B. cinerea in A. thaliana.