title: High-level expression of a tobacco chitinase gene in Nicotiana sylvestris. Susceptibility of transgenic plants to Cercospora nicotianae infection.
abstract: Endochitinases (E.C.3.2.14, chitinase) are believed to be important in the biochemical defense of plants against chitin-containing fungal pathogens. We introduced a gene for class I (basic) tobacco chitinase regulated by Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S-RNA expression signals into Nicotiana sylvestris. The gene was expressed to give mature, enzymatically active chitinase targeted to the intracellular compartment of leaves. Most transformants accumulated extremely high levels of chitinase-up to 120-fold that of non-transformed plants in comparable tissues. Unexpectedly, some transformants exhibited chitinase levels lower than in non-transformed plants suggesting that the transgene inhibited expression of the homologous host gene. Progeny tests indicate this effect is not permanent. High levels of chitinase in transformants did not substantially increase resistance to the chitin-containing fungus Cercospora nicotiana, which causes Frog Eye disease. Therefore class I chitinase does not appear to be the limiting factor in the defense reaction to this pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Friedrich Miescher-Institut, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Neuhaus
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ahl-Goy
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hinz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meins
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002688:Chitinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010935:Plant Diseases; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D005030:Ethylenes; C036216:ethylene; D002688:Chitinases