A high-throughput gene-silencing system for the functional assessment of defense-related genes in barley epidermal cells.

Large-scale gene silencing by RNA interference (RNAi) offers the possibility to address gene function in eukaryotic organisms at a depth unprecedented until recently. Although genome-wide RNAi approaches are being carried out in organisms like Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila spp. or human after the corresponding tools had been developed, knock-down of only single or a few genes by RNAi has been reported in plants thus far. Here, we present a method for high-throughput, transient-induced gene silencing (TIGS) by RNAi in barley epidermal cells that is based on biolistic transgene delivery. This method will be useful to address gene function of shoot epidermis resulting in cell-autonomous phenotypes such as resistance or susceptibility to the powdery-mildew fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei. Gene function in epidermal cell elongation, stomata regulation, or UV resistance might be addressed as well. Libraries of RNAi constructs can be built up by a new, cost-efficient method that combines highly efficient ligation and recombination by the Gateway cloning system. This method allows cloning of any blunt-ended DNA fragment without the need of adaptor sequences. The final RNAi destination vector was found to direct highly efficient RNAi, as reflected by complete knock-down of a cotransformed green fluorescent protein reporter gene as well as by complete phenolcopy of the recessive loss-of-function mlo resistance gene. By using this method, a role of the t-SNARE protein HvSNAP34 in three types of durable, race-nonspecific resistance was observed.

Cloning and characterization of a second laccase gene from the lignin-degrading basidiomycete Pycnoporus cinnabarinus.

The gene lcc3-2 encoding a second laccase of the white-rot fungus Pycnoporus cinnabarinus has been cloned, sequenced, and characterized. The isolated gene consists of 2840bp, with the coding region interrupted by ten introns and flanked by an upstream region in which putative CAAT and TATA boxes were identified. The cDNA of lcc3-2 contains an open reading frame of 1563bp. The deduced mature laccase protein consisted of 498 amino acids and was preceded by a signal peptide of 23 amino acids. The sequence of lcc3-2 reveals 73% similarity on the protein level to the previously characterized lcc3-1. The new laccase gene shares highest similarity to lcc1 from Trametes villosa (75%), and lcc2 from the unidentified basidiomycete CECT 20197 (75%). The calculated isoelectric point (pI) of 6.1 for the gene product LCC3-2 was in good agreement with the experimentally determined pI of a laccase secreted by P. cinnabarinus grown on cellulose. Transcription analysis using competitive reverse transcription (RT)-PCR showed that lcc3-2 was expressed in glucose and cellulose containing cultures. However, in contrast to lcc3-1, lcc3-2 transcription was not increased in response to 2,5-xylidine.