Functional differentiation in the leucine-rich repeat domains of closely related plant virus-resistance proteins that recognize common avr proteins.

The N' gene of Nicotiana sylvestris and L genes of Capsicum plants confer the resistance response accompanying the hypersensitive response (HR) elicited by tobamovirus coat proteins (CP) but with different viral specificities. Here, we report the identification of the N' gene. We amplified and cloned an N' candidate using polymerase chain reaction primers designed from L gene sequences. The N' candidate gene was a single 4143 base pairs fragment encoding a coiled-coil nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-type resistance protein of 1,380 amino acids. The candidate gene induced the HR in response to the coexpression of tobamovirus CP with the identical specificity as reported for N'. Analysis of N'-containing and tobamovirus-susceptible N. tabacum accessions supported the hypothesis that the candidate is the N' gene itself. Chimera analysis between N' and L(3) revealed that their LRR domains determine the spectrum of their tobamovirus CP recognition. Deletion and mutation analyses of N' and L(3) revealed that the conserved sequences in their C-terminal regions have important roles but contribute differentially to the recognition of common avirulence proteins. The results collectively suggest that Nicotiana N' and Capsicum L genes, which most likely evolved from a common ancestor, differentiated in their recognition specificity through changes in the structural requirements for LRR function.

Single amino acid substitution in the methyltransferase domain of Paprika mild mottle virus replicase proteins confers the ability to overcome the high temperature-dependent Hk gene-mediated resistance in Capsicum plants.

Capsicum plants harboring the Hk gene (Hk) show resistance to Paprika mild mottle virus (PaMMV) at 32 degrees C but not 24 degrees C. To identify the viral elicitor that activates the Hk-mediated resistance, several chimeric viral genomes were constructed between PaMMV and Tobacco mosaic virus-L. Infection patterns of these chimeric viruses in Hk-harboring plants revealed responsibility of PaMMV replicase genes for activation of the Hk-mediated resistance. The comparison of nucleotide sequence of replicase genes between PaMMV and PaHk1, an Hk-resistance-breaking strain of PaMMV, revealed that the adenine-to-uracil substitution at the nucleotide position 721 causes an amino acid change from threonine to serine at the 241st residue in the methyltransferase domain. Introduction of the A721U mutation into the replicase genes of parental PaMMV overcame the Hk resistance at 32 degrees C. The results indicate that Hk-mediated resistance is induced by PaMMV replicase proteins and that methyltransferase domain has a role in this elicitation.

The coat protein gene of tobamovirus P 0 pathotype is a determinant for activation of temperature-insensitive L 1a-gene-mediated resistance in Capsicum plants.

Tobamovirus resistance in Capsicum plants, which is mediated by L genes (L(1), L(2), L(3) or L(4)), is known to be temperature sensitive. However, the L(1a ) gene, a newly identified tobamovirus resistance gene that is mapped to the L locus, confers temperature-insensitive resistance against the tobamovirus P(0) pathotype. To identify the viral elicitor that activates the L(1a )-gene-mediated resistance, several chimeric viral genomes were constructed between tobacco mosaic virus-L (P(0) pathotype), paprika mild mottle virus-J (P(1 )pathotype) and pepper mild mottle virus-J (P(1,2) pathotype). Infection patterns of these chimeric viruses in L(1a )-harboring plants revealed that the L(1a )-gene-mediated resistance was activated by the CP of a particular pathotype of tobamovirus, like other L-gene-mediated resistances, but the L(1a )-gene-mediated resistance differs from those conferred by other L genes in terms of temperature sensitivity.