Alcohol dehydrogenase gene expression in potato following elicitor and stress treatment.

A cDNA clone corresponding to a mRNA that rapidly accumulates during the hypersensitive-like response induced by elicitor treatment of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tuber was characterized. The clone encodes a polypeptide (Mr = 41,097) having 83%-85% amino acid identity with known plant alcohol dehydrogenase sequences (ADH; EC 1.1.1.1). The identity of the clone was confirmed by measuring the ADH enzyme activity in extracts of Escherichia coli transformed with the cDNA clone. In potato tuber disks, a wide range of stresses, including treatment with fatty acid elicitors, salicylic acid, UV light and anaerobiosis, was shown to induce accumulation of Adh transcripts. In stems, a high constitutive level of Adh transcripts could be detected in 4-week old plants, but not in 8-week old plants. However, the mRNA could be induced to accumulate in stems of 8-week old plants by treatment with arachidonic acid elicitor or by anaerobiosis. Induction in leaves was also obtained during anaerobiosis and after treatment with a Phytophthora infestans mycelial homogenate.