Engineering resistance against various diseases and pests is hampered by the lack of suitable genes. To overcome this problem we started a research program aimed at obtaining resistance by transfecting plants with genes encoding monoclonal antibodies against pathogen specific proteins. The idea is that monoclonal antibodies will inhibit the biological activity of molecules that are essential for the pathogenesis. Potato cyst nematodes are chosen as a model and it is thought that monoclonal antibodies are able to block the function of the saliva proteins of this parasite. These proteins are, among others, responsible for the induction of multinucleate transfer cells upon which the nematode feeds. It is well documented that the ability of antibodies to bind molecules is sufficient to inactivate the function of an antigen and in view of the potential of animals to synthesize antibodies to almost any molecular structure, this strategy should be feasible for a wide range of diseases and pests.Antibodies have several desirable features with regard to protein engineering. The antibody (IgG) is a Y-shaped molecule, in which the domains forming the tips of the arms bind to antigen and those forming the stem are responsible for triggering effector functions (Fc fragments) that eliminate the antigen from the animal. Domains carrying the antigen-binding loops (Fv and Fab fragments) can be used separately from the Fc fragments without loss of affinity. The antigen-binding domains can also be endowed with new properties by fusing them to toxins or enzymes. Antibody engineering is also facilitated by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). A systematic comparison of the nucleotide sequence of more than 100 antibodies revealed that not only the 3′-ends, but also the 5′-ends of the antibody genes are relatively conserved. We were able to design a small set of primers with restriction sites for forced cloning, which allowed the amplification of genes encoding antibodies specific for the saliva proteins ofGlobodera rostochiensis. Complete heavy and light chain genes as well as single chain Fv fragments (scFv), in which the variable parts of the light (VL) and heavy chain (VH) are linked by a peptide, will be transferred to potato plants. A major challenge will be to establish a correct expression of the antibody genes with regard to three dimensional folding, assembly and intracellular location. 相似文献
1. Under summer conditions in north Iraq, 2 000 chicks were reared for 56 d in two broiler houses. One house was provided with two air‐coolers. The birds were housed at densities of eight to 16 birds/m2.
2. Differences in weight gain between birds in cooled and uncooled houses ranged from 101.5 g at eight birds/m2 to 385 g at 16 birds/m2. Food consumption increased gradually with increasing bird density. Food conversion efficiency, meat yield and carcass conformation were much better in the cooled house than under conventional conditions.
3. The financial return/m2 ranged from 2.30 to 4.51 ID1 in the cooled house, compared with 2.01 to 2.77 ID in the uncooled house at different floor densities. 相似文献
1. Chemical analysis of a sample of ground mango seed kernels (MSK) revealed the following percentage composition: dry matter, 91.55; ash, 1.97; protein, 6.74; ether extract, 12.53; fibre, 1.30; nitrogen‐free extract, 77.46.
2. The ME content of MSK was 1.82 kcal/g.
3. The percentage retention of the crude fat content of MSK was only 3.38%.
4. Substituting MSK for corn at 10 or 20% led to reduced growth rate and poorer food consumption and a reduced efficiency of food utilisation in the period 0 to 4 weeks. 相似文献
L11A-Fukushima (L11A-F) derived from attenuated isolate LuA of Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) has the highest ability to cross protect against virulent ToMV among LuA and its derivatives and is stably inherited.
Growth, yield, fruit quality and symptom attenuation of inoculated tomato plants did not differ significantly between L11A-F and L11A. The infectivity of progeny viruses in tomato infected with LuA-F was less than 4% of that with virulent ToMV. From these
results, L11A-F appears to possess the properties necessary for practical use. To manage L11A-F strictly, a PCR-based assay to detect trace contamination of virulent ToMV in L11A-F preparations was established.
Received 10 June 2002/ Accepted in revised form 30 October 2002 相似文献
DAS-ELISA proved to be reliable enough to detect a latent infection by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) in asymptomatic stock plants of chrysanthemum. A high density of Frankliniella occidentalis, the predominant vector, in the presence of latently infected stock plants resulted in a high incidence of disease in the chrysanthemum
production field. The incidence of disease was low when the vector thrips were not abundant in spite of the presence of latently
infected stock plants. These results suggest that an infestation of the vector thrips causes severe secondary spread of TSWV
originating from latently infected stock plants in chrysanthemum production fields.
Received 27 July 2001/ Accepted in revised form 27 November 2001 相似文献
Aciculosporium take (Ascomycota; Clavicipitaceae) is a causal agent of witches' broom of
bamboo plants. The symptoms of this disease are believed to be induced by plant
hormones, particularly auxins. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) was identified in
cultures of this fungus in an l-tryptophan-supplemented liquid medium.
IAA production was confirmed on 30 isolates of A. take from various
hosts and locations at levels up to 1 mg/l. The biosynthetic pathway of
IAA in A. take culture was examined by analyzing intermediate products
and by feeding experiments. The results showed that the indole-3-pyruvic acid
pathway (l-tryptophan → indole-3-pyruvic acid → indole
acetaldehyde → IAA) was the dominant pathway in A. take.
Received: June 3, 2002 / Accepted: July 25, 2002 相似文献
To better characterise at the molecular level the nature of plant responses to infection by Rhodococcus fascians PCR-based differential display patterns of Atropa belladonna leafy gall (LG) and non-infected plant tissues were compared. Six differentially expressed genes were identified and their altered expression was confirmed by RT-PCR. Three of them corresponded to up-regulated genes which encode proteins involved in plant defence. The three remaining cDNA fragments which correspond to down-regulated genes in LG, encoded proteins with similarity to a multicystatin, a miraculin and a methallothionein-like protein, respectively. Upon elimination of the bacteria from infected plant tissue, the expression of up-regulated genes was maintained, whereas expression of down-regulated genes resumed suggesting a potential role of these up-regulated genes in plant growth and development. 相似文献
Rice seedling growth, estimated by plant height and root development and discoloration, was better in pasteurized soil than
in unpasteurized soil obtained from a flooded rice field. Rice seedlings also grew better in sterilized soil modified by adding
roots harvested from the pasteurized soil than in soil modified by adding roots harvested from the unpasteurized soil. The
results demonstrate that seedling growth in the rice field soil was inhibited by soil microorganisms, even though no typical
symptoms such as seedling blight or damping-off appeared. Pythium aristosporum is suggested to be involved in the inhibition. Thus, it appears that inconspicuous restraint of rice seedling growth could
occur in soils of rice paddy fields.
Received: May 20, 2002 / Accepted: October 16, 2002
Acknowledgments The authors thank Dr. T. Ichitani, former professor at Osaka Prefectural University, for providing an isolate of Pythium aristosporum for comparison, and Mr. Mitsuaki Sato of Akita Prefectural College of Agriculture for technical assistance. 相似文献
Large mammalian herbivores are notorious for their propensity towards population irruptions and crashes, yet many herbivore populations remain relatively stable. I explore how resource heterogeneity within landscapes dampens population instability, using a metaphysiological modelling approach considering patch state distributions. Resource heterogeneity is functionally stabilizing through spreading consumption away from preferred resources before these become critically depleted. Lower-quality resources act as a buffer against starvation during critical periods of the seasonal cycle. Enriching resource quality is destabilizing, even if patch diversity is maintained, because food quantity then becomes the limitation. The potential consequences of landscape fragmentation are explored using the Serengeti ecosystem, characterised by broadscale resource gradients, as a hypothetical example. Further insights provided by the model are illustrated with specific examples concerning the effects of patch scales and waterpoint distribution. A metaphysiological modelling approach enables the basic consequences of landscape heterogeneity to be distinguished from further effects that may arise from specific patch scales and configurations, without the distracting detail of spatially explicit models. 相似文献