title: Antifungal proteins from plants. Purification, molecular cloning, and antifungal properties of chitinases from maize seed.
abstract: We have purified two 28-kDa chitinases, designated Chitinase A (Chit A) and Chitinase B (Chit B), from maize seeds to homogeneity and isolated cDNA clones encoding these two enzymes using an oligonucleotide probe based on an amino acid sequence of a peptide derived from Chit A. Although these two enzymes share 87% homology in their amino acid sequences, which were deduced from the nucleotide sequences of the isolated cDNA clones, they are significantly different in their biochemical and in vitro antifungal activities. When tested in vitro for antifungal activity against the growth of Trichoderma reesei, Alternaria solani, and Fusarium oxysporum, Chit A showed greater antifungal activity than Chit B. The specific activity of Chit A was determined to be 3-fold higher than that of Chit B. Chit A also had a 10-fold lower binding constant (Kd) against the substrate analogue N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetyl chitotetrose than Chit B, indicating that the two enzyme may differ in their affinities for binding to the substrate chitin. Comparison of the amino acid sequences of maize seed chitinases with those of previously published chitinases from monocot and dicot plants indicates that maize seed chitinases have diverged significantly from other chitinases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Protein Biochemistry, Monsanto Corporate Research, Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Missouri 63198.
authors.forename: Q K
authors.initials: QK
authors.lastname: Huynh
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hironaka
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Borgmeyer
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Shah
mesh_terms: D000528:Alternaria / Q000187:drug effects; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002688:Chitinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003488:Cyanogen Bromide / Q000737:chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005670:Fusarium / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D012639:Seeds / Q000201:enzymology*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014242:Trichoderma / Q000187:drug effects; D014357:Trypsin / Q000737:chemistry; D003313:Zea mays / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D007527:Isoenzymes; D012331:RNA, Fungal; D004247:DNA; D002688:Chitinases; D014357:Trypsin; D003488:Cyanogen Bromide