EXPRESSION OF AN APPLE LRR-PROTEIN KINASE (LRPKM1) AFTER VENTURIA INAEQUALIS INFECTION IN APPLE LEAVES TISSUE

Malus x domestica Borkh. (apple), one of the most widely grown fruit crops in the world, is susceptible to several fungal diseases, among which scab (Venturia inaequalis (Cooke) Aderh.) is one of the most economically important.
Although cultivars may exhibit different degrees of susceptibility, none are immune.
While much information is available about the induction of the defence mechanisms complex array in several plants, a molecular study of the defence response in apple has not been carried out yet.
LRPKm1 is the first apple gene encoding an LRR receptor-like protein kinase.
This gene belongs to a gene family and it is induced in the resistant cultivar Florina following infection with V. inaequalis, and salicylic acid treatment.
Our research is aimed at studying the interaction between apple and V. inaequalis at a molecular level.
It will focus particularly on the LRPKm1 multigene family and its function during plant-pathogen interaction.
The main objectives of the research are:
– peptide synthesis in the LRR aminoacidic sequence of LRPKm1;
– production of a specific monoclonal antibody against the synthetic peptide;
– analysis of in situ expression of LRPKm1 protein based on immunocytochemistry and immunogold experiments.

XI Eucarpia Symposium on Fruit Breeding and Genetics

M. Komjanc, I. Pertot, C. Toller, P. Ermacora, N. Loi

Malus x domestica, receptor protein kinase, immunocytochemistry, immunogold

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.663.23