Expression and Antifungal Activity of Trichoderma virens ech42 in Tobacco

摘要

Endochitinase is a cell wall chitin degrading enzyme that is utilized to develop transgenic crops with resistance to diseases. The expression of endochitinase gene (ech42) in transgenic tobacco plants was analyzed. Transgenic plants were PCR screened with marker (nptII) and ech42 specific primers. Expression of ech42 at transcription levels was confirmed through RT-PCR. Chitinase activity was analyzed through the glycol chitin plate assay and reducing sugar estimation across the three different growth stages of 60, 120 and 180 days after germination. All the tested transgenic plants showed higher levels of chitinase activity compared to un-transformed control tobacco plants, and variation was observed among the different transgenic plant lines and also within them. Transgenic expression of ech42 in tobacco has shown resistance against foliar pathogen Alternaria sp. causing leaf spot and soil borne pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii causing root rot.