Characterization of Avirulence Genes in Bacterial Plant Pathogens

无毒（avr）基因存在于植物病原菌中 微生物和调节免疫特异性， 允许植物宿主检测病原体并激活 防御机制 这项研究的长期目标是 了解这种识别系统的分子基础 以及它所调节的植物防御机制。 基恩医生 克隆和测序了几个avr基因， >假单胞菌> >丁香菌>最近观察到的一组病原体 其中一种是在细菌 接种到大豆植株中。 这种植物诱导表达 一个细菌无毒基因构成了一个重要的线索， 目前还没有答案的问题的生化功能的 无毒基因蛋白产物。 基恩博士将进一步 研究细菌avr基因以及它们如何参与 植物对病原体的识别 他将完成 测序和表达几个另外的AVR基因。 他 将研究>avrC>和其他无毒基因的诱导， 以及avr基因与细菌激发子的关系， 启动植物防御反应

Avirulence (avr) genes occur in plant pathogenic microorganisms and modulate recognitional specificities which permit plant hosts to detect the pathogen and invoke an active defense mechanism. The long range goal of the research is to understand the molecular basis underlying this recognition system and the plant defense mechanism that it modulates. Dr. Keen has cloned and sequenced several avr genes from members of the >Pseudomonas> >syringae> group of pathogens and recently observed that one of them is inducibly expressed when bacteria are inoculated into soybean plants. This plant inducible expression of a bacterial avirulence gene constitutes an important lead in the as yet unanswered question of the biochemical function of the avirulence gene protein products. Dr. Keen will further investigate the bacterial avr genes and how they are involved in plant recognition of the pathogen. He will complete the sequencing and expression of several additional avr genes. He will study inducibility of the >avrC> and other avirulence genes, and the relationship of avr genes to bacterial elicitors which initiate the plant defense reaction.