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Expression of a hypovirulence-causing double-stranded RNA is associated with up-regulation of quinic acid pathway and down-regulation of shikimic acid pathway in Rhizoctonia solani

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Abstract

We reported previously that a 3.6-kb double-stranded RNA, designated as M2, is associated with hypovirulence in the Rhizoctonia solani isolate Rhs 1A1 and proposed that the M2-encoded putative polypeptide A (pA) might interfere with the regulation of the quinate and shikimate pathways. In this study, Western blot analysis showed that a protein band of the predicted size (83 kDa) binds antibodies specific to a pA epitope and is detectable in M2-containing but not in M2-lacking cultures. A mRNA, associated with Rhs 1A1 polysomes immunoprecipitated with anti-pA antibodies, has a sequence basically identical to that of the sense-strand of M2. The normally inducible quinate pathway was constitutively expressed, whereas the shikimate pathway was down-regulated in the M2-containing, hypovirulent Rhs 1A1. Finally, the relative concentration of phenylalanine, precursor of the virulence determinant phenylacetic acid, was correlated with the degree of pathogenicity in the virulent Rhs 1AP but not in the hypovirulent Rhs 1A1.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Paul Winnard, currently at Johns Hopkins University for suggestions regarding the quinate dehydrogenase and shikimate kinase assays, and Dr. Eric Floreto for help on the amino acid HPLC analysis. This is Maine Agriculture Forestry Experiment Station publication 2612.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maine, 5735 Hitchner Hall, Orono, ME 04469-5735, USA

    Chunyu Liu, Dilip K. Lakshman & Stellos M. Tavantzis

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  1. Chunyu Liu
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  2. Dilip K. Lakshman
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  3. Stellos M. Tavantzis
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Correspondence to Stellos M. Tavantzis.

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Communicated by U. Kück

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Liu, C., Lakshman, D.K. & Tavantzis, S.M. Expression of a hypovirulence-causing double-stranded RNA is associated with up-regulation of quinic acid pathway and down-regulation of shikimic acid pathway in Rhizoctonia solani . Curr Genet 42, 284–291 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-002-0348-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-002-0348-1

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