Isolation of Defense-Related Genes from Nicotiana glutinosa Infected by Tobacco Mosaic Virus Using a Modified Differential Screening

Many of plant defense responses are consequence of transcriptional activation of related genes. We have developed a modified differential screening procedure to isolate tobacco genes that are involved in the defense responses against TMV infection. A cDNA library was constructed from Nicotiana glutinosa leaves infected by TMV under temperature shift conditions. Each of plasmid DNA in the library was hybridized on a set of slot blots to a pool of cDNA probes prepared from either TMV-infected or mock-treated tobacco leaves. Among 900 plasmid DNAs, 81 clones exhibiting significantly enhanced or reduced level of hybridization to either probe were selected for nucleotide sequencing. The clones were listed into 61 genes considering redundancy between the sequences. The genes were identified to be defense-related genes including PR-genes and genes involved in primary or secondary metabolisms. This results supports the implication that plant defense process entails a major shift in total cellular metabolisms rather than activation of a limited number of defense-related genes. Expression patterns of a number of defense-related genes. Expression patterns of a number of selected genes were examined in northern blot analyses. It is notable that the clone 630 of unknown function exhibits expression pattern similar to those of previously known PR-genes. Experiments to elucidate the roles in defense mechanism of a couple of genes newly identified in this study are in progress.