Performing Department
Plant, Soil and Microbial Science
Non Technical Summary
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most important food crops in the world. However, a number of diseases caused by bacterial, fungal and oomycete pathogens cause serious economic losses worldwide. Despite the release of new varieties, current control measures for these diseases are not always successful. Development of transgenic plants through incorporation of disease resistance genes encoding antimicrobial peptides (AMP) has shown potential in the development of disease resistant potato cultivars. However, due to lack of genome sequence, a comprehensive genome-wide identification of AMP-encoding genes and subsequent analyses of their efficacy against diverse potato pathogen has not been possible. With the recent release of the potato genome, this proposal seeks to identify the AMP coding potential of the potato genome through bioinformatics analyses. Through the expression of AMP-encoding genes, transgenic plants resistant to a broader spectrum of microbial phytopathogens will be produced and tested against the diseases caused by bacterial, fungal, and oomycete pathogens. Development of transgenic plants capable of producing AMPs may provide broad-spectrum resistance to phytopathogenic microorganisms and complement other resistance genes currently in potato and thus providing a basis for development of novel disease management practices.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
100%
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Diseases caused by bacterial, fungal, viral and oomycete pathogens cause serious economic losses for potato growers and processors worldwide. Genetic manipulation to incorporate disease resistance genes encoding AMPs into specific cultivars has shown some potential in the development of disease resistant potato cultivars. This proposal seeks to identify the AMP coding potential of the potato genome and validate through bioinformatics analyses and computational prediction methods for the purpose of developing sustainable pest management method. The specific objectives of this proposal are as follows: 1) Identification and validation of antimicrobial peptides in the potato genome using bioinformatics analyses and computational prediction methods; 2) Development of transgenic potato plants expressing the antimicrobial peptides identified by genome-based analyses; 3) Assessment of the antimicrobial activity of the antimicrobial peptides against bacterial, fungal and oomycete pathogens of potato.
Project Methods
Expression of genes encoding AMPs in transgenic plants represents a powerful tool for creating disease-resistant cultivars to a wide range of bacterial and fungal pathogens. Assessment of the AMP-encoding potential of potato and development of transgenic plants that provide resistance against different phytopathogens are the major goals of this proposal. To accomplish these goals, we will computationally identify and validate antimicrobial peptides in potato. A combination of prediction methods will be used to validate the AMPs encoded by potato which will be identified by genome-wide analyses. We will then develop transgenic potato plants expressing different types of antimicrobial peptides identified in the genome. Potato plants will be transformed by using established Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation methods. Finally, a series of transgenic plant lines will be developed and tested for their resistance to Bacterial soft rot (caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum), Fusarium dry rot (caused by Fusarium solani), and late blight of potato (caused by Phytophthora infestans).