Biotechnology Letters

, Volume 32, Issue 4, pp 539–546 | Cite as

Chitinolytic and antifungal activity of a Bacillus pumilus chitinase expressed in Arabidopsis

  • Ali Dehestani
  • Kamal Kazemitabar
  • Gholamreza Ahmadian
  • Nadali Babaeian Jelodar
  • Ali Hatef Salmanian
  • Mehdi Seyedi
  • Heshmat Rahimian
  • Seyedhadi Ghasemi
Original Research Paper
First Online:
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:

Abstract

The Bacillus pumilus SG2 chitinase gene (ChiS) and its truncated form lacking chitin binding (ChBD) and fibronectin type III (FnIII) domains were transformed to Arabidopsis plants and the expression, functionality and antifungal activity of the recombinant proteins were investigated. Results showed that while the two enzyme forms showed almost equal hydrolytic activity toward colloidal chitin, they exhibited a significant difference in antifungal activity. Recombinant ChiS in plant protein extracts displayed a high inhibitory effect on spore germination and radial growth of hyphae in Alternaria brassicicola, Fusarium graminearum and Botrytis cinerea, while the activity of the truncated enzyme was strongly abolished. These findings demonstrate that ChBD and FnIII domains are not necessary for hydrolysis of colloidal chitin but play an important role in hydrolysis of chitin–glucan complex of fungal cell walls. Twenty microgram aliquots of protein extracts from ChiS transgenic lines displayed strong antifungal activity causing up to 80% decrease in fungal spore germination. This is the first report of a Bacillus pumilus chitinase expressed in plant system.

Keywords

Antifungal activity Arabidopsis thaliana Bacillus pumilus Chitin binding domain Chitinase activity 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB, Italy) and National Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB, Iran).

Supplementary material

10529_2009_192_MOESM1_ESM.pdf (209 kb)
Supplementary material 1 (PDF 208 kb)

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009

Authors and Affiliations

  • Ali Dehestani
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
  • Kamal Kazemitabar
    • 1
  • Gholamreza Ahmadian
    • 2
  • Nadali Babaeian Jelodar
    • 1
  • Ali Hatef Salmanian
    • 3
  • Mehdi Seyedi
    • 3
  • Heshmat Rahimian
    • 4
  • Seyedhadi Ghasemi
    • 1
    • 2
  1. 1.Department of Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agronomic SciencesSari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources UniversitySariIran
  2. 2.Department of Molecular GeneticsNational Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB)TehranIran
  3. 3.Department of Plant BiotechnologyNational Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB)TehranIran
  4. 4.Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agronomic SciencesSari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources UniversitySariIran

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