Irum Samra, Cilkiz Mustafa, Al-Kubaisi Noorah, Elshikh Mohamed S, Iqbal Rashid
Department of Biological Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Department of Health Sciences Technology, National Skills University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Mol Biol Rep. 2025 Sep 5;52(1):871. doi: 10.1007/s11033-025-10937-x.
Chitinases, enzymes responsible for hydrolyzing chitin, a significant component of fungal cell walls, play a crucial role in plant defense mechanisms, growth, symbiotic relationships, and stress resistance. In this study, we identified 27 chitinase genes in chickpeas (CaChi) and classified them into five classes based on phylogenetic analysis. Overall, chitinase genes are clustered on eight chromosomes. Among these chromosomes (Chr), Chr-2 displayed the maximum number of genes. Meanwhile, promoter analysis revealed that cis-elements are involved in responses to phytohormones, biotic stress, plant growth, and development. Tissue-based expression analysis indicated that CaChi genes are predominantly expressed in the seedling and floral parts. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis revealed that CaChi genes play diverse roles in plant-environment interactions. Notably, several CaChi members were strongly induced by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. and fourteen genes (CaChi20, CaChi25, CaChi11, CaChi3, CaChi16, CaChi14, CaChi1, CaChi4, CaChi5, CaChi8, CaChi9, CaChi21, CaChi18, CaChi13) exhibited elevated expression levels after post-inoculation, depicting a significant function of Chi genes in chickpea resistance to Fusarium wilt. These findings enhance understanding of the chitinase family in chickpea crops and clarify the functions of chickpea chitinase in response to fungal stress.
几丁质酶是负责水解几丁质的酶，几丁质是真菌细胞壁的重要组成部分，在植物防御机制、生长、共生关系和抗逆性中发挥着关键作用。在本研究中，我们在鹰嘴豆中鉴定出27个几丁质酶基因（CaChi），并根据系统发育分析将它们分为五类。总体而言，几丁质酶基因聚集在八条染色体上。在这些染色体（Chr）中，Chr-2上的基因数量最多。同时，启动子分析表明顺式元件参与了对植物激素、生物胁迫、植物生长和发育的响应。基于组织的表达分析表明，CaChi基因主要在幼苗和花器官中表达。此外，qRT-PCR分析表明，CaChi基因在植物与环境的相互作用中发挥着多种作用。值得注意的是，几个CaChi成员受到尖孢镰刀菌的强烈诱导，接种后有14个基因（CaChi20、CaChi25、CaChi11、CaChi3、CaChi16、CaChi14、CaChi1、CaChi4、CaChi5、CaChi8、CaChi9、CaChi21、CaChi18、CaChi13）表达水平升高，表明Chi基因在鹰嘴豆抗枯萎病中具有重要功能。这些发现增进了对鹰嘴豆作物中几丁质酶家族的了解，并阐明了鹰嘴豆几丁质酶在应对真菌胁迫时的功能。
