Red fluorescent protein (DsRed2) as a novel reporter in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici.

pAn-DsRed2 vector was constructed for constitutive cytoplasmic expression of the red fluorescent protein (DsRed2) under control of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene promoter from Aspergillus nidulans. DsRed2-transformation of two Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici strains pathogenic against tomato host resulted in bright red cytoplamic fluorescence of the fungus. The transformants were screened based on the hygromycin B resistance, brightness, stability and rate of appearance of the DsRed2 fluorescence. The transormed fungi were growing normally and their pathogenicity did not change after transformation procedure. The function of novel DsRed2 marker was verified by fluorescence microscopy of the infected tomato seedlings. The results indicate that DsRed2 can be used as a efficient novel reporter gene for monitoring of the F. oxysporum within the host tissues.