High protection of protein kinase NtPK against the phytopatogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani

To identify Nicotiana tabacum genes involved in resistance and susceptibility to the phytopathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani, transcripts were generated (by subtractive libraries), which were differentially expressed in each interaction. This enabled isolation of a gene coding for a protein kinase that becomes silent during the susceptibility interaction and is activated during resistance. The expression of this gene in tobacco plants signifi cantly increased resistance against an aggressive isolate of R. solani. However, silencing the gene drastically reduced resistance to a nonaggressive isolate of R. solani. Besides, genes such as: superoxide dismutase, hsr203j, chitinases and phenylalanine ammonia lyase, related with resistance to tobacco plant diseases, in which the gene coding for the protein kinase is overexpressed or silenced, were evaluated. This gene can be used to design a strategy of resistance to R. solani in tobacco cultures or other plants of the Solanaceae family, susceptible to this phytopathogen.