Ectopic Expression of Anthocyanin 5-O-Glucosyltransferase in Potato Tuber Causes Increased Resistance to Bacteria

Abstract

The principal goal of this paper was to investigate the significance of anthocyanin 5-O-glucosyltransferase (5-UGT) for potato tuber metabolism. The ectopic expression of a 5-UGT cDNA in the tuber improved the plant's defense against pathogen infection. The resistance of transgenic lines against Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora was about 2-fold higher than for nontransformed plants. In most cases the pathogen resistance was accompanied by a significant increase in tuber yield. To investigate the molecular basis of transgenic potato resistance, metabolic profiling of the plant was performed. In tuber extracts, the anthocyanin 3,5-O-substituted level was significantly increased when compared to that of the control plant. Of six anthocyanin compounds identified, the highest quantity for pelargonidin 3-rutinoside-5-glucoside acylated with p-coumaric acid and peonidin 3-rutinoside-5-glucoside acylated with p-coumaric acid was detected. A significant increase in starch and a decrease in sucrose level in transgenic tubers have been detected. The level of all other metabolites (amino acids, organic acids, polyamines, and fatty acids) was quite the same as in nontransformants. The plant resistance to bacterial infection correlates with anthocyanin content and sucrose level. The properties of recombinant glucosyltransferase were analyzed in in vitro experiments. The enzyme kinetics and its biochemical properties were similar to those from other sources.

The effect of Cuscuta babylonica Aucher ( Cuscuta ) parasitism on the phenolic contents of Carthamus glaucus Bieb.subsp. glaucus

“…Similarly, it is reported that gallic acid showed chronic effects on growth, ingestion and utilization of food in Helicoverpa armigera, in relation to cotton (Ananthakrishnan et al, 1994). Flavonoids are the largest group of phenolics and they have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties (Lorenc-Kukula et al, 2005).Chlorogenic acid and hyperoside are present in several plants and have antioxidant capacity in plant defense system (Korkina, 2007;Leiss et al, 2009;Ngadze et al, 2012). The amount of chlorogenic acid and hyperoside increased (1.7 fold and 2.4 fold) after Cuscuta attack as our results.…”

Soft-rot Resistance of Coloured Potato Cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L.): The Role of Anthocyanins

“…Expression of anthocyanin 5-O-glucosyl-transferase mediated an improved resistance of transgenic potato lines to Pectobacterium (Lorenc- Kukula et al 2005), and in transgenic rice plants, anthocyanin gene expression led to enhanced resistance against the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea (Gandikota et al 2001). The finding that addition of fungal elicitors resulted in a higher anthocyanin accumulation in callus cultures of Daucus carota may also account for an involvement of anthocyanins in plant defence (Sudha and Ravishankar 2003).…”

Anthocyanins: from plant to health

“…Carotovora. An increase in starch as well as a decrease in sucrose levels were also detected in transgenic tubers (Lorenc-Kukuła et al 2005). Likewise, simultaneous expression of genes encoding CHS, chalcone isomerase (CHI), and DFR in potato resulted in a significant increase in trisaccharide derivatives of pelargonidin and petunidin.…”