Publication Type: | Journal Article |
Year of Publication: | 2013 |
Authors: | Ahmad, JN, Garcion, C, Teyssier, E, Hernould, M, Gallusci, P, Pracros, P, Renaudin, J, Eveillard, S |
Journal: | Plant Pathology |
Volume: | 62 |
Issue: | 1 |
Date Published: | 2013 |
ISBN Number: | 1365-3059 |
Keywords: | 5-azacytidine, demethylases, DNA methylation, flower development genes, methylases, stolbur phytoplasma |
Abstract: | DNA methylation was investigated as a possible mechanism for regulation of floral gene expression in stolbur phytoplasma-infected tomato buds. Expression of methylase and demethylase genes was found to be globally down-regulated in tomato plants infected with stolbur isolate PO, but not in those infected with isolate C. These results are consistent with the finding that SlDEF, a gene orthologous to arabidopsis APETALA3 which is involved in petal formation, was down-regulated in stolbur PO-infected buds and remained unaffected in stolbur C-infected buds, and with the fact that the two stolbur phytoplasma isolates C and PO induce distinct symptoms. Because of variations between the different cell-types of the flower buds, the DNA methylation status of SlDEF could not be clearly established. However, the finding that treatment of stolbur PO-infected plants with 5-azacytidine partially restored SlDEF gene expression strongly suggests that DNA methylation is involved in down-regulation of floral development genes in stolbur PO-infected tomatoes. |
URL: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3059.2012.02605.x |
Short Title: | Plant Pathology |