title: ZmGns, a maize class I β-1,3-glucanase, is induced by biotic stresses and possesses strong antimicrobial activity.
abstract: Plant β-1,3-glucanases are members of the pathogenesis-related protein 2 (PR-2) family, which is one of the 17 PR protein families and plays important roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses. One of the differentially expressed proteins (spot 842) identified in a recent proteomic comparison between five pairs of closely related maize (Zea mays L.) lines differing in aflatoxin resistance was further investigated in the present study. Here, the corresponding cDNA was cloned from maize and designated as ZmGns. ZmGns encodes a protein of 338 amino acids containing a potential signal peptide. The expression of ZmGns was detectible in all tissues studied with the highest level in silks. ZmGns was significantly induced by biotic stresses including three bacteria and the fungus Aspergillus flavus. ZmGns was also induced by most abiotic stresses tested and growth hormones including salicylic acid. In vivo, ZmGns showed a significant inhibitory activity against the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 and fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea when it overexpressed in Arabidopsis. Its high level of expression in the silk tissue and its induced expression by phytohormone treatment, as well as by bacterial and fungal infections, suggest it plays a complex role in maize growth, development, and defense.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803, USA.
authors.forename: Yu-Rong
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Yenjit
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Raruang
authors.forename: Zhi-Yuan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Cleveland
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000187:drug effects; D020171:Botrytis / Q000187:drug effects; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D044644:Endo-1,3(4)-beta-Glucanase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D017343:Genes, Plant; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000494:pharmacology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020156:Salicylic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects*; D013379:Substrate Specificity / Q000187:drug effects; D013696:Temperature; D003313:Zea mays / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D044644:Endo-1,3(4)-beta-Glucanase; D020156:Salicylic Acid
keywords: Zea mays; ZmGns; biological activity; expression profiles; β-1,3-Glucanase