A transient expression system to assay putative antifungal genes on powdery mildew infected barley leaves

A transient expression system has been established to assay the regulation and impact of putative antifungal proteins at the single cell level in barl ey (Hordeum vulgare L.) epidermal leaf cells infected with powdery mildew ( Erysiphe graminis f.sp. hordei). The system combines biolistic transformati on with direct comparison of the fungal attack in transfected and wild type cells. Many epidermal cells showed detectable expression of marker genes i ncluding a novel improved version of green fluorescent protein (GFP). The m arker was detectable for at least 10 days during which individual host cell s supported an unaffected asexual life-cycle of the pathogen. (C) 1999 Acad emic Press.