Expression of rice chitinase gene in transgenic eggplant confers resistance to fungal wilts

The class I chitinases are the vacuolar proteins capable of degrading the cell walls of invading phytopathogenic fungi and they have been implicated in the defense of plants against fungal pathogens. In the present study, class I rice endochitinase gene was introduced into eggplant (Solanum melon gena L.) under the control of a constitutive CaMV 35S promoter by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Molecular analysis of putative transformants revealed the presence of transgene and its expression in several transformants of eggplant. The transgenic lines also showed higher chitinase activity as compared to the untransformed controls. Fungal resistance assays of transgenic lines against the wilt causing fungi, Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium oxysporum, exhibited the delay in the onset of disease by 5-7 d as well as enhanced resistance against wilt diseases.