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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #265970
Title: Cloning and identification of Fv-cmp, a protease from Fusarium verticillioides that truncates Zea mays and Arabidopsis thaliana class IV chitinases

Author
item Naumann, Todd
item Wicklow, Donald

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/10/2011
Publication Date: 8/10/2011
Citation: Naumann, T.A., Wicklow, D.T. 2011. Cloning and identification of Fv-cmp, a protease from Fusarium verticillioides that truncates Zea mays and Arabidopsis thaliana class IV chitinases [abstract]. American Society of Plant Biologists.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Chitinase modifying proteins (cmps) are proteases, secreted by fungal pathogens, that were originally identified as proteins that truncate class IV chitinases of maize during ear rot. Cmps from Bipolaris zeicola and Stenocarpella maydis have been characterized, but the identities of the proteases have not been determined. Here we report that members of the genus Fusarium also secrete cmps, identify the gene from F. verticillioides that encodes Fv-cmp, and show that this protease can also truncate class IV chitinases from Arabidopsis thaliana. Protein extracts from Fusarium cultures were found to truncate recombinant ChitA and ChitB in vitro. Based on this activity, Fv-cmp was purified from F. verticillioides. The amino-terminal sequence was determined, leading to identification of the protein and encoding gene. It was also found that recombinant class IV chitinases produced from A. thaliana cDNAs are truncated by Fv-cmp. This suggests that truncation of plant class IV chitinases by fungal cmps may be a general mechanism of plant/fungal interactions.