Antifungal activity of rye (Secale cereale) seed chitinases: the different binding manner of class I and class II chitinases to the fungal cell walls

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2002 May;66(5):970-7. doi: 10.1271/bbb.66.970.

Abstract

The antifungal activities of rye seed chitinase-a (RSC-a, class I) and -c (RSC-c, class II) were studied in detail using two different bioassays with Trichoderma sp. as well as binding and degradation experiments with the cell walls prepared from its mycelia. RSC-a inhibited more strongly the re-extension of the hyphae, containing mainly mature cells, than RSC-c did. Upon incubation of the fungus with fluorescent chitinases, FITC-labeled RSC-a was found to be located in the hyphal tips, lateral walls, and septa, while FITC-labeled RSC-c was only in the hyphal tip. RSC-a had a greater affinity for the cell walls than RSC-c. RSC-a liberated a larger amount of reducing sugar from the cell walls than RSC-c did. These results inferred that RSC-a first binds to the lateral walls and septa, consisting of the mature cell walls, and degrades mature chitin fiber, while RSC-c binds only to the hyphal tip followed by degradation of only nascent chitin. As a result, RSC-a inhibited fungal growth more effectively than RSC-c. Furthermore, it was suggested that the chitin-binding domain in RSC-a assists the antifungal action of RSC-a by binding to the fungal hypha.

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents / metabolism
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Binding Sites
  • Chitinases / metabolism
  • Chitinases / pharmacology*
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Osmolar Concentration
  • Protein Binding
  • Secale / embryology
  • Secale / enzymology*
  • Seeds / enzymology*
  • Trichoderma / drug effects*
  • Trichoderma / metabolism

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Chitinases