Cutinase is not required for fungal pathogenicity on pea.

Abstract

Cutinase, a fungal extracellular esterase, has been proposed to be crucial in the early events of plant infection by many pathogenic fungi. To test the long-standing hypothesis that cutinase of Nectria haematococca (Fusarium solani f sp pisi) is essential to pathogenicity, we constructed cutinase-deficient mutants by transformation-mediated gene disruption of the single cutinase gene of a highly virulent N. haematococca strain. Four independent mutants were obtained lacking a functional cutinase gene, as confirmed by gel blot analyses and enzyme assays. Bioassays of the cutinase-deficient strains showed no difference in pathogenicity and virulence on pea compared to the wild type and a control transformant. We conclude that the cutinase of N. haematococca is not essential for the infection of pea.

• Authors: D J Stahl, W Schäfer
• Journal: The Plant cell (Plant Cell) Vol. 4 Issue 6 Pg. 621-9 (Jun 1992) ISSN: 1040-4651 [Print] England
• PMID: 1392588 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• DNA, Fungal
• Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases
• cutinase

Topics

• Base Sequence
• Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases (physiology)
• DNA, Fungal
• Fabaceae (microbiology)
• Fusarium (enzymology, pathogenicity)
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Plants, Medicinal
• Restriction Mapping
• Transformation, Genetic