Expression of a barley ribosome-inactivating protein leads to increased fungal protection in transgenic tobacco plants

We have obtained transgenic tobacco plants that express a barley ribosome inactivating protein (RIP) under control of the wound-inducible promoter of the potato wun1 gene. R 0 transformants selected on kanamycin were tested for growth in soil inoculated with the soil-borne phyto-pathogen Rhizoctonia solani . Three R 0 plants, which grew well compared to controls, and which were shown to carry the transgene by Southern blotting, were selfed and the R 1 progeny tested for protection against fungal inoculation. Southern and 2-D Western blotting showed that R 1 plants exhibiting increased protection had inherited the transgene and expressed the barley RIP upon wounding.