The role of chitinase from Lecanicillium antillanum B-3 in parasitism to root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita eggs

B-3 fungal isolate was isolated from soil samples of Gwangju in Korea. Based on morphological and phylogenetic analysis, it was designated as Lecanicillium antillanum B-3 (syn. Verticillium antillanum B-3). The fungus was a chitinolytic-nematophagous microorganism. B-3 chitinase activity from 0.5% swollen chitin broth medium reached the highest level on the sixth day and then plateaued until 12 days. B-3 isolate showed the high rate of parasitism on Meloidogyne incognita eggs with more than 90% infection rate on the third day after treatment. B-3 crude chitinase damaged the eggshell structures more than 78% based on lactoglycerol staining data at a final protein concentration of 14.6 µg mL^?1 on the fourth day following treatment. Partially purified chitinase with molecular 37 kDa from DEAE-Sephadex chromatography also showed damaging effect on the eggs. These results suggested that chitinase from B-3 isolate was responsible for degradation of M. incognita eggshell structures.