ATAF2, a member of the plant-specific NAC-domain transcription factor family, is highly induced in leaves at a wound site and is responsive to the wound-related phytohormones methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid, but not to abscisic acid. Overexpression of ATAF2 leads to an increased biomass and yellowing of the leaves, but there is no obvious phenotype in two independent ATAF2 T-DNA insertion lines. At the transcriptome level, ATAF2 overexpression resulted in repression of a number of pathogenesis-related proteins. Conversely, four of these pathogenesis-related transcripts were increased in both ATAF2 knock-out lines. ATAF2 overexpressing plants showed a higher susceptibility to the soil-borne fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. Our results indicate that ATAF2 functions as a repressor of pathogenesis-related proteins in Arabidopsis.

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-313X.2005.02488.x

The transcription factor ATAF2 represses the expression of pathogenesis-related genes in Arabidopsis

A New Lectin with Highly Potent Antihepatoma and Antisarcoma Activities from the Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus Ostreatus

One stop mycology

Ganodermin, an antifungal protein from fruiting bodies of the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum.

Sesquin, a potent defensin-like antimicrobial peptide from ground beans with inhibitory activities toward tumor cells and HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

We have purified from potato tubers, the lectin STA devoid of chitinase activity and two chitinases devoid of lectin activity. Both enzymes are 16 kDa glycoproteins, and probably belong to a new family of plant chitinases. The respective antifungal properties of lectin and chitinases were studied by following their effects against early developmental stages of Fusarium oxysporum, a fungal potato pathogen. Here we demonstrate that: (1) lectin does not inhibit mycelial growth but irreversibly inhibits conidia germination and alters the germ tubes; and (2) chitinases block mycelial growth as well as conidia germination and lyse germ tubes.

M. Lungu

Papers

Antifungal properties of lectin and new chitinases from potato tubers.