title: The chitinase gene (Bbchit1) from Beauveria bassiana enhances resistance to Cytospora chrysosperma in Populus tomentosa Carr.
abstract: The Chinese white poplar (Populus tomentosa Carr.) is susceptible to infection by plant diseases which severely affect its growth and substantially decrease its economic value. A chitinase gene (Bbchit1) from Beauveria bassiana was introduced into Chinese white poplar (Populus tomentosa Carr.) by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The T-DNA of plant transformation vector contained the beta-glucuronidase reporter gene (GUS) under the control of CaMV 35S promoter and the neomycin phosphotransferase selection marker gene (NPTII) driven by the nos promoter. GUS activity was detected in most of the kanamycin-resistant plants tested. Stable integration of transgenes in the plant genome was confirmed using PCR. RT-PCR analysis showed that the Bbchit1 gene was transcribed in the transformed plants. When evaluated for resistance to poplar fungal pathogens with an in vitro assay, crude extracts from leaves and shoots of transgenic lines were inhibitory against the pathogenic fungus Cytospora chrysosperma (Pers.) Fr. Similarly, Bbchit1 overexpression enhanced disease resistance to C. chrysosperma in the transformed poplar plants, indicating that is gene is potentially useful to protect the trees against fungal diseases.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment and Bio-Resource of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 1 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Zhichun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Yimin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Qiaoyan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Keming
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D052982:Beauveria / Q000201:enzymology*; D002457:Cell Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D002688:Chitinases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019868:Kanamycin Kinase / Q000235:genetics; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000737:chemistry; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D032107:Populus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012231:Rhizobium / Q000235:genetics; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D002457:Cell Extracts; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019868:Kanamycin Kinase; D002688:Chitinases; D005966:Glucuronidase