PLANT CHITINASES

Within the last 10 years, much attention has been focused on the role chitinases play within the plant. Evidence is strong that they are ant ifungal proteins, yet they may also play a part in a nonspecific stres s response and can be developmentally regulated. They consist of sever al enzyme classes and are produced in many plants by small gene famili es. This review discusses the nature of these enzymes and the genes th at encode them, developmental- and tissue-specific expression, and the classes of organic and inorganic molecules which induce chitinase gen e expression and accumulation. Prospects for the development of fungus -resistant varieties of plants using ''foreign'' chitinase genes are a lso analyzed.