title: Pn-AMPs, the hevein-like proteins from Pharbitis nil confers disease resistance against phytopathogenic fungi in tomato, Lycopersicum esculentum.
abstract: The antifungal activity of hevein-like proteins has been associated with their chitin-binding activities. Pn-AMP1 and Pn-AMP2, two hevein homologues from Pharbitis nil, show in vitro antifungal activities against both chitin and non-chitin containing fungi. Purified Pn-AMPs retained antifungal activities only under non-reducing conditions. When Pn-AMP2 cDNA was constitutively expressed in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) plants under the control of CaMV35S promoter, the transgenic plants showed enhanced resistance against both the non-chitinous fungus Phytophthora capsici, and the chitin-containing fungus Fusarium oxysporum. Thus, the chitin component in the fungal cell wall is not an absolute requirement for Pn-AMP's antifungal activities. These results when considered together suggest that Pn-AMPs have the potential for developing transgenic plants resistant to a wide range of phytopathogenic fungi.
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 program), Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ok Sun
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Boyoung
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Nammi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ja Choon
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Young Hoe
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Theertha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Prasad D
authors.forename: Chandrakant
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karigar
authors.forename: Hyun Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Byoung Ryong
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Doh Hoon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jaesung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Jae-Gil
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Sang-Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: Moo Je
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Dae-Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Yun
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002686:Chitin / Q000378:metabolism; D027722:Convolvulaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005670:Fusarium / Q000187:drug effects*; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010838:Phytophthora / Q000187:drug effects*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010940:Plant Proteins; D002686:Chitin