Functional analysis of the Verticillium resistance gene Ve1

PO-54 Functional analysis of the Verticillium resistance gene Ve1 Zhao Zhang Lab of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, the Netherlands Race-specific pathogen resistance in plants is governed by corresponding plant resistance (R) genes and pathogen avirulence (Avr) genes. R protein-mediated recognition of an Avr protein usually activates an hypersensitive response (HR), which is necrosis of plant tissue surrounding the infection site. Verticillium spp. are economically important pathogens that cause vascular wilt diseases in a wide range of plant species worldwide. A locus responsible for resistance against race 1 strains of Verticillium has been cloned from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). This locus, named Ve, comprises two closely linked inversely oriented R genes, Ve1 and Ve2, which encode extracellular leucine-rich repeat (eLRR) receptor-like proteins (RLPs). It has recently been demonstrated Ve1, but not Ve2, acts as a functional Verticillium resistance gene in tomato and Arabidopsis. Recently, the Verticillium race 1 elicitor that activates Ve1-mediated resistance, Ave1, was identified. Co-expression of the Ave1 and Ve1 through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient expression (agroinfiltration) can successfully induce HR in Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco). In this PhD project, several research lines using Arabidopsis and tomato will be followed with the aim to investigate: 1.) localization of Ve1 protein; 2.) Why Ve2 is not a functional resistance protein; 3.) how eLRRs of Ve1 mediate interactions with their ligand Ave1; 4.) what partner proteins Ve1 associates with and the composition of the Ve-mediated defence signal transduction pathway.