
pmid: 10906959
The public concern over the harmful effects of chemical pesticides on the environment and human health has enhanced the search for safer, environmentally friendly control alternatives. Control of plant pests by the application of biological agents holds great promise as an alternative to the use of chemicals. It is generally recognized that biological control agents are safer and more environmentally sound than is reliance on the use of high volumes of pesticides. Due to the importance of chitinolytic enzymes in insect, nematode, and fungal growth and development, they are receiving attention in regard to their development as biopesticides or chemical defense proteins in transgenic plants and microbial biocontrol agents. In this sense, biological control of some soil-borne fungal diseases has been correlated with chitinase production. Fungi- and bacteria-producing chitinases exhibit antagonism against fungi, and inhibition of fungal growth by plant chitinases has been demonstrated. Insect pathogenic fungi have considerable potential for the biological control of insect pests. Entomopathogenic fungi apparently overcome physical barriers of the host by producing multiple extracellular enzymes including chitinolytic enzymes, which help to penetrate the cuticle and facilitate infection. In this chapter, the role of chitinases in biological control and their potential use in the improvement of biocontrol agents and crop plants by genetic engineering is analyzed in view of recent findings.
Chitinases, Fungi, Humans, Bacterial Physiological Phenomena, Pest Control, Biological, Plants, Genetically Modified
Chitinases, Fungi, Humans, Bacterial Physiological Phenomena, Pest Control, Biological, Plants, Genetically Modified
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 82 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Top 10% | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
