SPATIAL-DISTRIBUTION OF ACIDIC CHITINASES AND THEIR MESSENGER-RNAS INTOBACCO PLANTS INFECTED WITH CHERRY LEAF ROLL VIRUS

Cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV) infection in Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanth i nc plants induces the expression of, among others, basic and acidic chitinases at 3 d.p.i. (days postinoculation) and 8 d.p.i. in inoculat ed and uninoculated, systemically infected leaves, respectively, The s patial distribution of the acidic tobacco chitinases (PR-P and PR-Q) m RNAs in CLRV-infected tobacco leaves has been studied by tissue printi ng and Northern (RNA) blot analysis, The mRNA was preferentially detec ted in and around the concentric necrotic rings caused by the viral in fection, In addition, the accumulation pattern of the proteins was ver y similar although a basal signal was detected in nonsynptomatic tissu e in uninoculated, systemically infected leaves, These results indicat e a positive association of acidic chitinase gene expression with the necrotic tissue, where the virus is mainly localized, in the CLRV-toba cco interaction.