CSK HIMACHAL PRADESH KRISHI VISHVAVIDYALAYA

CREDIT SEMINAR
ON

Gene-For-Gene hypothesis and its

validItY in THE present SCENARIO
Speaker:
Nimit Kumar
A-2012-40-006
Ph.D Student
Department of Crop Improvement

Disease Development

Disease Triangle

Conditions for disease :

Host should be susceptible

Pathogen should be virulent
Environment should be favourable for the disease

What is
Resistance..?
The ability of an organism to exclude or overcome,
completely or in some degree, the effect of a
pathogen or other damaging factor

Two types

Basis of Disease
resistance
Components

R genes

R Genes
Present in host plant
Control a major step in the

recognition of the pathogen

and play a major role in
expression of resistance
Control
Gene-for-Gene
interaction
R
gene product inactivate
toxin

Avr Genes
Avr genes were first identified

by H. H. Flor in 1950
Mild genes of pathogen
Responsible for activation of
certain defense response in host
Lead
to resistance including
hypersensitive response

Pathogen
Avr Gene

ELICITOR

Receptor R Gene
Plant

Resistance Responses
incl. the HR

(Gururani et al. 2012)

Examples of Avr genes and corresponding R- genes

Plants

Avirulent

Rice

gene

Pathogen

Matching
R genes

References

AvrPITA

Magnaporthe grisea

Pi-ta

Valent (1998)

Tomato

AvrPto

Pseudomonas syringae pv.

tomato

Prf

Salmeron et. al. (1996)

Tomato

AvrRpp8

Meloidogyne incognita
and Macrosiphum
euphorbia

Mi

Milligan et. al. (1998)

Rossi et. al. (1998)

Potato

Coat protein

Rx

Bendahmane et. al. (1999)

Potato

Elicitin or AvrD

Phytophthora infestans

Pto

Cai et. al. (2001)

Tobacco

Replicase

Tobacco mosaic
virus(TMV)

Whitham et. al. (1994)

Potato virus X (PVX)

Gene-for-Gene
Gene-for-Gene Concept
Concept
For each resistance gene in
the host there is a
corresponding gene for
avirulence in the pathogen
conferring resistance and
viceversa
H.H. Flor (1955)

H. H. Flor (1900
(MS 1924, Ph.D

1991)
1929)

H.

H. Flor conducted studies with flax (Linum

usitatissimum) and the flax rust pathogen (Melampsora
lini)
------ to understand the genetic basis of
the interaction between resistance and
virulence.

Flor originated geneforgene theory based on

observations from his experiments

------ making crosses between both plants and
pathogens to determine the
inheritance of resistance and
avirulence

Gene-for-gene hypothesis
Quadratic Check
Pathogen
Avirulence
(virulence)
genes

Plant
Resistance
(susceptibility) genes
R (Resistant)

r (susceptible)

AR (-)

Ar(+)

a (virulent)

aR(+)

ar(+)

(Avirulent)

where,

= Resistance
+ = Susceptible

(Agrios 2007)

(Staskawicz et al. 1995)

Gene-for-gene hypothesis
Multifactor Interactions
Avirulen
ce/virul
ence

A1A2
a1A2
A1a2
a1a2

Resistance/susceptibility
R1 R2

r1 R2

R1r2

r1r2

+
+

+
+

+
+
where, + = Resistance
+ = Susceptible

(Agrios 2007)

Molecular basis for genefor gene-relationship

On the basis of molecular interactions involved in
producing resistant/susceptible responses in the host, the
gene-for-gene relationship may be classified into two
general groups:
Incompatible reaction

Incompatible reaction
Found in biotrophic pathogens (obligate parasites) and is associated with
hypersensitive response of the host
Only one of the four combinations would lead to the resistant response
since the products of R & A would recognize & interact with each other.
The product of alleles a & r are unable to recognize each other, & there is
no interaction between them hence reaction of host becomes susceptible.
Plant Resistance
/susceptibility genes

Pathogen Avirulence /virulence genes

A

Resistance

Susceptible

Susceptible

Susceptible

Allele A of the virulence gene specifies avirulence.

Allele a of the virulence gene governs virulence.

Compatible
reaction

Found in heterotrophic pathogens (facultative parasites)

The allele for susceptibility of the host ( r) and those for
virulence in the pathogen produce specific compound, which
interact with each other to produce susceptible response.
one of the fours combinations would lead to susceptibility
and rest lead to resistant.
Plant Resistance
/susceptibility genes

Pathogen Avirulence /virulence genes

Resistance

Resistance

Resistance

Susceptible

Allele A of the virulence gene specifies avirulence.

Allele a of the virulence gene governs virulence.

2nd gene for gene hypothesis

Flors gene for- gene hypothesis is purely a

hypothesis of identities.
The resistance gene in the host and the
corresponding virulence gene can be
identified by this hypothesis.
But it does not tell us about the gene
quality.
A
second
gene
for
-gene
hypothesis, which is an extension of Flors
hypothesis, tells us about the quality of
genes.

The quality of resistance gene in the

host determines the fitness of matching

gene in the pathogen to survive, when
this gene for virulence is unnecessary.
Unnecessary gene means- a gene for
virulence in the pathogen population
against which matching resistance gene
in the host is not present.
Reciprocally, the fitness of the virulence
gene in the parasite to survive when it
is unnecessary determines the quality
of matching resistance gene in the host.

For instance, there are ten or more genes in the host

for resistance to late blight of potato, R1, R2,

R3------------R10.

Of these, the first four R1---R4 have been well studied. These genes

have not been found of equal importance and strength.

R4 has not been successfully used on its own by breeders although it

has occasionally been used in combination with other genes.

The R1 gene has often been used alone and it has given protection to

the varieties against blight. The difference between these R genes is

that virulences on R4 preexisted in population of Phytophthora
infestans whereas virulences on R1 dont (Van der Plank, 1975).

The ratio for virulence between R1 and R4 genes has been found to

differ significantly. Thus there is difference in the quality of resistance

genes R1 and R4.

Expansion of gene-For-gene
hypothesis

Concepts and hypothesis

proposed after

DIFFERENT MODELS PROPOSED

UNDER DIRECT INTERACTION
ElicitorReceptor
Model

Dimer
Model

Direct
Interacti
on
Ion Channel
Defense
Model

Suppressor
Receptor
Model

Elicitor-Receptor Model
Signal
gene
(Pathoge
n)

Signal
(elicitor)

recognition

Sensor
gene
(plant)

Sensor
(receptor)

Cytoplasmi
c
membrane

Av
r

Avirulence
factor

Membrane
proteins
"receptors

Release of expression of
defense genes, active defense
by plant
(Albersheim et al.
1981)

Dimer Model
Signal
gene
(Pathogen)

Single
(elicitor)

recognition

Sensor
(receptor)

Avr

Sensor
gene
(plant)

Avirulence factor

Dimer

Regulator
molecule

Regulatory
function
BLOCKING chains towards basic compatibility

(Ellingboe 1982 )

Ion Channel Defense

Model
Signal
gene
(Pathogen)

Single
(elicitor)

recognition

Sensor
(receptor)

Sensor
gene
(plant)

Transmembr
ane

Avr

Avirulence factor
Open

Protein closed

Hypersensitive or programmed cell death effect release of expression of defense genes in

neighboring cells

(Gabriel and Rolfe 1990)

Suppressor-Receptor model

Bushnell 1981

Indirect Models
GUARD HYPOTHESIS
According to it elicitor does not directly
interact with R genes or receptor.
Avirulence coded factor first of all react
with guardee protein which either
directly or indirectly form a complex
and encode R gene which activate
defense reaction.

Guard Model

Applications of Gene
Applications of Gene
for-gene hypothesis
for-gene hypothesis

 The source of pathogenic variability

in pathogens

The

mutability
virulence genes

Why

host
under one
others

of

resistance

and

resistance is expressed
set of conditions and not

Prediction of putative genotypes

contd
Cataloguing and storing of R genes in

the form of plant seeds or cuttings and V

genes in the form of pathogen strains
Management

and
deployment
resistance genes in space and time

of

Geographic distribution of R and V genes

Hm 1 gene in Maize
(Johal and Briggs
1992)

Includes the maize gene Hm

1 conferring race specific

resistance to race 1 of the
fungus
Cochliobolus
carbonum(causing leaf spot
of
corn)
producing
host
specific toxin, the HC toxin

First R gene to be located,

isolated

and

sequenced

in

Molecular basis of disease

resistance in Maize
Maize gene Hm 1
by pathogenEncod
es

NADPH-Dependent
Inactivat
es/
Detoxify

HC toxin reductase

Invasion
Preven
ts

HC-toxin

Xa21 rice gene Xa21 rice gene Xanthomonas

Xanthomonas
oryzae pv. oryzae
oryzae pv. oryzae
(causing bacterial
(causing bacterial
blight)
(Ronald
blight) 1997)
(Ronald
1997)

Rice

gene
Xa21,
conferring
resistance to bacterial pathogen
Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae
(causing bacterial blight)

Xa21 represents a novel class of

plant disease R genes encoding a

putative receptor kinase (RK)

MOLECULAR BASIS OF DISEASE

RESISTANCE IN RICE

(Ronald 1997)

TMV -N gene Tobacco

(Dinesh et al. 1995)

N gene present in Tobacco confer resistance

to the viral pathogen. The amino acid
sequence of the encoded N protein contains
domains (NBS-LRR) which suggest a role for

Work done in university

Saharan (1977) identified 11 races of Melampsora lini
(I-8 to I-17 and I-43)
Dr. Basandrai (1994) evaluated flax genotypes for
resistance to rust (Melampsora lini), wilt (Fusarium
oxysporum ) and powdery mildew (Oidium lini) with
139, 35 and 24 genotypes, respectively, being free of
infection

Work going on in the department

Molecular
characterization
of
rust
resistance
introgressed into Linum usitatissimum L. from its wild
and cultivated gene pool

Present research scenario at

international level

Conclusion
The

precision of management and

deployment of resistance genes has
increased
considerably
after
Flors
hypothesis
Interactions between disease resistance
(R)
genes
in
plants
and
their
corresponding pathogen avirulence (Avr)
genes are the key determinants of whether
a plant is susceptible or resistant to a
pathogen attack
Evidence has emerged that gene-for-gene
interactions
in
the
perception
of

contd
The interaction between plant and

pathogen are specific, complex and

dynamic
Increased
understanding
of
the
molecular basis of disease resistance
will not only answer basic biological
questions on the mode of action of
resistance genes, but will facilitate
efforts
to
engineer
crops
for
resistance to disease

The hazardous effect of

fungicides,
bactericides
THANK
YOU and
insecticides, or their
degradation products, on the
environment and human
health strongly necessitates
the search for new harmless
means of disease
control.and i.e.
Development of resistant
varieties.