Abstract
Plant chitinases have been known as pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins, but recent studies suggest that they play functional roles during normal plant growth and development. We previously isolated two cDNA clones encoding endochitinases,EuNOD-CHT1 and -CHT2, from the root nodules ofElaeagnus umbellata. These genes show differential expression patterns, with theEuNOD-CHT1 gene being active in the root nodules and meristems, whileEuNOD-CHT2 is preferentially expressed in the infected cells of those nodules. To elucidate the functional roles of these two endochitinases, we have now constitutively expressed each gene in a heterologous plant system,Arabidopsis thaliana. Stable inheritance and expression of the transgenes were confirmed by genomic Southern hybridization and RT-PCR. Our transgenic plants did not differ morphologically from the wild types. However, constitutive expression ofEuNOD-CHT1 and -CHT2 inArabidopsis resulted in increased resistance against a fungal pathogen,Botrytis cinerea, but not against a bacterial agent,Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tomato DC3000. Expression levels were enhanced by both wounding and jasmonic acid treatments (forEuNOD-CHT1), or by jasmonic acid only (forEuNOD-CHT2). These data suggest thatEuNOD-CHT1 and -CHT2 primarily play defensive roles during root nodule development inE. umbellata.
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Kim, Y.J., Kim, H.B., Baek, E.H. et al. Constitutive expression of two endochitinases from root nodules ofElaeagnus umbellata confers resistance on transgenicArabidopsis plants against the fungal pathogenBotrytis cinerea . J. Plant Biol. 48, 39–46 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03030563
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03030563