Tentacles of in vitro-grown round-leaf sundew (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosera rotundifolia</Emphasis>L.) show induction of chitinase activity upon mimicking the presence of prey |
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Authors: | Ildikó?Matu?íková Ján?Salaj Jana?Morav?íková Ludmila?Mlynárová Jan-Peter?Nap Email author" target="_blank">Jana?LibantováEmail author |
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Institution: | (1) Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 39A, SK, 950 07, Nitra 1, , Slovak Republic;(2) Plant Research International, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 16, 6700, AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands;(3) Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Transitorium, Dreijenlaan 3, 6703, HA, Wageningen, The Netherlands;(4) Section Bioinformatics, Institute for Life Science & Technology, Hanze University Groningen, P.O. Box 3037, 9701, DA, Groningen, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Induction of plant-derived chitinases in the leaves of a carnivorous plant was demonstrated using aseptically grown round-leaf
sundew (Drosera rotundifolia L.). The presence of insect prey was mimicked by placing the chemical inducers gelatine, salicylic acid and crustacean chitin
on leaves. In addition, mechanical stirring of tentacles was performed. Chitinase activity was markedly increased in leaf
exudates upon application of notably chitin. Application of gelatine increased the proteolytic activity of leaf exudates,
indicating that the reaction of sundew leaves depends on the molecular nature of the inducer applied. In situ hybridization
of sundew leaves with a Drosera chitinase probe showed chitinase gene expression in different cell types of non-treated leaves,
but not in the secretory cells of the glandular heads. Upon induction, chitinase mRNA was also present in the secretory cells
of the sundew leaf. The combined results indicate that chitinase is likely to be involved in the decomposition of insect prey
by carnivorous plants. This adds a novel role to the already broad function of chitinases in the plant kingdom and may contribute
to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind the ecological success of carnivorous plants in nutritionally poor
environments. |
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Keywords: | Carnivory Chitinolytic activity In situ hybridization Leaf exudates Proteolytic activity |
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