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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, March 2002, p. 1305-1311, Vol. 68, No. 3
0099-2240/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.68.3.1305-1311.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Cloning, Characterization, and Transcription of Three Laccase Genes from Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, the Take-All Fungus

Anastasia P. Litvintseva and Joan M. Henson^*

Department of Microbiology and Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717

Received 1 May 2001/ Accepted 30 November 2001

Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, a filamentous ascomycete, is an important root pathogen of cereals that causes take-all disease and results in severe crop losses worldwide. Previously we identified a polyphenol oxidase (laccase) secreted by the fungus when induced with copper. Here we report cloning and partial characterization of three laccase genes (LAC1, LAC2, and LAC3) from G. graminis var. tritici. Predicted polypeptides encoded by these genes had 38 to 42% amino acid sequence identity and had conserved copper-binding sites characteristic of laccases. The sequence of the LAC2 predicted polypeptide matched the N-terminal sequence of the secreted laccase that we purified in earlier studies. We also characterized expression patterns of these genes by reverse transcription-PCR. LAC1 was transcribed constitutively, and transcription of LAC2 was Cu inducible. All three genes were transcribed in planta; however, transcription of LAC3 was observed only in planta or in the presence of host (wheat) plant homogenate.

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* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Dept. of Microbiology, 109 Lewis Hall, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717. Phone: (406) 994-4690. Fax: (406) 994-4926. E-mail: jhenson{at}montana.edu.

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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, March 2002, p. 1305-1311, Vol. 68, No. 3
0099-2240/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.68.3.1305-1311.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

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