GM Apple

The Fire Blight disease in apples is caused by a gram negative bacterium, Erwinia amylovora. The disease destroys the blossoms, shoots, limbs and could eventually kill the entire tree if not properly treated. Its treatment, however, is quite complex as disease development can occur in in different phases. The chemicals used to control the disease include copper (applied prior to green tip development) and the antibiotic, streptomycin (applied during the growing season). Improper use of this antibiotic can result in resistant strains of Erwinia, which could further escalate the problem.

Source: Phil A. Arneson, Cornell University

Herb Aldwinckle (email: hsa1@cornell.edu) and Jay Norelli (email: mglenn@afrs.ars.usda.gov) of the Department of Plant Pathology at Cornell University, Geneva, NY (USA) have transformed Gala apples through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to produce attacin E, a protein capable of lysing the bacterial cell.

Related Topics:

• Delayed ripening
• Apple scab resistance
• Fire blight resistance
• Insect resistance

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