Basic β-1,3-Glucanase from Exhibits Antifungal Potential in Transgenic Tobacco Plants.

The basic β-1,3-glucanase of the carnivorous plant was tested as a purified protein, as well as under the control of a double promoter in transgenic tobacco for its capability to inhibit the growth of , , , and in an in-vitro assay. The purified protein inhibited tested phytopathogens but not the saprophytic fungus . Out of the analysed transgenic plants, lines 13, 16, 19, and 22 exhibited high transcript abundance normalised to the transcript. Because of transgene expression, lines 13 and 16 showed a 1.7-fold increase and lines 19 and 22 showed more than a 2-fold increase in total β-1,3-glucanase activity compared to the non-transgenic control. In accordance with the purified β-1,3-glucanase in-vitro antifungal assay, crude protein extracts of lines 19 and 22 significantly inhibited the growth of phytopathogens (14-34%). Further analyses revealed that the complementary action of transgenic β-1,3-glucanase and 20% higher activity of endogenous chitinase(s) in these lines were crucial for maximising the antifungal efficiency of crude protein extracts.