Chitinase A from the baculovirus AcMNPV enhances resistance to both fungi and herbivorous pests in tobacco

• Published in: Transgenic research Vol. 17; no. 4; pp. 557 - 571
• Main Authors: Corrado, Giandomenico, Arciello, Stefania, Fanti, Paolo, Fiandra, Luisa, Garonna, Antonio, Digilio, Maria Cristina, Lorito, Matteo, Giordana, Barbara, Pennacchio, Francesco, Rao, Rosa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.08.2008; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animal Genetics and Genomics; Animals; Aphidoidea; Aphids - microbiology; Baculoviridae - enzymology; Baculoviridae - genetics; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedical Engineering/Biotechnology; Biotechnology; chitinase; Chitinases - genetics; Chitinases - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; fungi; Fungi - genetics; Fungi - pathogenicity; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; Genetic Engineering; Genetic technics; Host-Pathogen Interactions; insects; Larva - genetics; Larva - pathogenicity; Lepidoptera - genetics; Lepidoptera - pathogenicity; Life Sciences; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Molecular Medicine; Molecular Sequence Data; Multiple defence; Nicotiana - genetics; Nicotiana - microbiology; Nucleopolyhedroviruses - enzymology; Nucleopolyhedroviruses - genetics; Original Paper; Pest Control, Biological; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plants, Genetically Modified; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism; Resistance; transgenes; Transgenic animals and transgenic plants; Transgenics; Chitinase; Fungi; Resistance; Insects; Multiple defence; Aphids; Transgene; Multiple defence, Chitinase; Fungi Aphids, Resistance; Enzyme; Insecta; Transgene· Insects; Nicotiana tabacum; Glycosylases; Virus; Pest; Baculoviridae; Arthropoda; Dicotyledones; Glycosidases; Angiospermae; Hydrolases; Spermatophyta; Solanaceae; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0962-8819; 1573-9368
• DOI: 10.1007/s11248-007-9129-4

Biotechnology has allowed the development of novel strategies to obtain plants that are more resistant to pests, fungal pathogens and other agents of biotic stress. The obvious advantages of having genotypes with multiple beneficial traits have recently fostered the development of gene pyramiding strategies, but less attention has been given to the study of genes that can increase resistance to different types of harmful organisms. Here we report that a recombinant Chitinase A protein of the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) has both antifungal and insecticide properties in vitro. Transgenic tobacco plants expressing an active ChiA protein showed reduced damages caused by fungal pathogens and lepidopteran larvae, while did not have an effect on aphid populations. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the characterisation and expression in plants of a single gene that increases resistance against herbivorous pests and fungal pathogens and not affecting non-target insects. The implications and the potential of the ChiA gene for plant molecular breeding and biotechnology are discussed.