Transcriptional Activation of a Cutinase Gene in Isolated Fungal Nuclei by Plant Cutin Monomers

Abstract
The molecular mechanism by which fungal spores that land on plants sense the contact and consequently trigger cutinase gene expression to gain entry into the plant was studied in isolated nuclei. Nucler runoff experiments showed that the induction involved transcriptional activation. Monomers, unique to cutin, and a soluble protein factor from the fungal extract selectively activated cutinase gene transcription, probably by promoting initiation in nuclei isolated from uninduced Fusarium solani pisi. This in vitro transcriptional activation produced normal-sized cutinase messenger RNA. Alterations in the monomer structure diminished the transcriptional activation.