O. Gozia et al., ANTIFUNGAL PROPERTIES OF LECTIN AND NEW CHITINASES FROM POTATO-TUBERS, Comptes rendus de l'Academie des sciences. Serie 3, Sciences de la vie, 316(8), 1993, pp. 788-792
We have purified from potato tubers, the lectin STA devoid of chitinas
e activity and two chitinases devoid of lectin activity. Both enzymes
are 16 kDa glycoproteins, and probably belong to a new family of plant
chitinases. The respective antifungal properties of lectin and chitin
ases were studied by following their effects against early development
al stages of Fusarium oxysporum, a fungal potato pathogen. Here we dem
onstrate that : (1) lectin does not inhibit mycelial growth but irreve
rsibly inhibits conidia germination and alters the germ tubes ; and (2
) chitinases block mycelial growth as well as conidia germination and
lyse germ tubes.