Expression of a Stilbene Synthase Gene from the <i>Vitis labrusca</i> x <i>Vitis vinifera</i> L. Hybrid Increases the Resistance of Transgenic <i>Nicotiana tabacum</i> L. Plants to <i>Erwinia carotovora</i>
Elena B. Rukavtsova,
Valeriya V. Alekseeva,
Sergey V. Tarlachkov,
Natalia S. Zakharchenko,
Alexander A. Ermoshin,
Svetlana A. Zimnitskaya,
Alexey K. Surin,
Elena Y. Gorbunova,
Viatcheslav N. Azev,
Sergey S. Sheshnitsan,
Konstantin A. Shestibratov,
Yaroslav I. Buryanov
Affiliations
Elena B. Rukavtsova
Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Branch of Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
Valeriya V. Alekseeva
Department of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Branch of Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
Sergey V. Tarlachkov
Department of Biotechnology, Branch of Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
Natalia S. Zakharchenko
Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Branch of Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
Alexander A. Ermoshin
Department of Experimental Biology and Biotechnology, Institute of Natural Science and Mathematics, Ural Federal University, 620002 Ekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Region, Russia
Svetlana A. Zimnitskaya
Department of Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Institute of Natural Science and Mathematics, Ural Federal University, 620002 Ekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Region, Russia
Alexey K. Surin
Department of Biological Testing, Branch of Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
Elena Y. Gorbunova
Department of Biotechnology, Branch of Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
Viatcheslav N. Azev
Department of Biotechnology, Branch of Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
Sergey S. Sheshnitsan
Faculty of Forestry, Voronezh State University of Forestry and Technologies Named after G.F. Morozov, 8 Timiryazeva Str., 394087 Voronezh, Voronezh Region, Russia
Konstantin A. Shestibratov
Department of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Branch of Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
Yaroslav I. Buryanov
Department of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Branch of Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
‘Isabel’ grape (Vitis labrusca x V. vinifera L. hybrid) is one of the main grape cultivars in Russia and some other countries for processing, due to its vigor, tolerance to the main fungal diseases, high yield and potential for sugar accumulation. The stilbene synthase gene VlvSTS was isolated from the hybrid grape cv. Isabel and cloned into a pSS plant transformation vector under the control of a constitutive 35S RNA double promoter of the cauliflower mosaic virus, CaMV 35SS. VlvSTS-gene containing transgenic tobacco lines were obtained and analyzed. For the first time plants expressing the VlvSTS gene were shown to have an enhanced resistance to the bacterial pathogen Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora B15. Transgenic plants were tested for resistance to a number of fungal pathogens. The plants were resistant to the grey mould fungus Botrytis cinerea, but not to the fungi Fusarium oxysporum, F. sporotrichioides, or F. culmorum. According to the results of a high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, the amount of trans-resveratrol in leaves of transgenic plants with the highest expression of the VlvSTS gene was in a range from 150 to 170 μg/g of raw biomass. Change in the color and a decreased anthocyanin content in the flower corollas of transgenic plants were observed in transgenic lines with the highest expression of VlvSTS. A decrease in total flavonoid content was found in the flower petals but not the leaves of these tobacco lines. High expression of the VlvSTS gene influenced pollen development and seed productivity in transgenic plants. The size of pollen grains increased, while their total number per anther decreased. A decrease in the number of fertile pollen grains resulted in a decreased average weight of a seed boll in transgenic plants.
