Identification and localisation of chitinases induced in the roots of potato plants infected with the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida

The electroblotting of extracts of potato roots infected with the potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida, and their labelling with a polyclonal antibody against chitinases revealed the induction and increases in intensity of several chitinase bands with molecular masses in the range 18-80 kDa. The immunolabelling of sections of infected roots with the antibody demonstrated the extracellular localisation of chitinases and their concentration in the cortex, endodermis and pericycle layer. The role of these chitinases in the context of plant defences against pathogen attack is discussed. (C) Orstom/Elsevier, Paris.