title: Suppression of tobacco basic chitinase gene expression in response to colonization by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices.
abstract: A differentially displayed cDNA clone (MD17) was isolated from tobacco roots (nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi-nc) infected with the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Glomus intraradices. The isolated DNA fragment exhibited a reduced level of expression in response to AM establishment and 90% identity with the 3' noncoding sequence of two basic chitinases (EC 3.2.1.14) from N. tabacum. Northern (RNA) blots and Western blots (immunoblots), probed with tobacco basic chitinase gene-specific probe and polyclonal antibodies raised against the chitinase enzyme, yielded hybridization patterns similar to those of MD17. Moreover, the up-regulation of the 32-kDa basic chitinase gene expression in tobacco roots by (1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester (BTH) was less effective in mycorrhizal roots than in nonmycorrhizal controls. Suppression of endogenous basic chitinase (32-kDa) expression was also observed in transgenic mycorrhizal plants that constitutively express the 34-kDa basic chitinase A isoform. When plants were grown with an increased phosphate supply, no suppression of the 32-kDa basic chitinase was obtained. These findings indicate that during the colonization and establishment of G. intraradices in tobacco roots, expression of the basic chitinase gene is down-regulated at the mRNA level.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Field and Garden Crops, ARO, Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itzhaki
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ginzberg
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gafni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Galili
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kapulnik
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002688:Chitinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D002688:Chitinases