[Induction, purification and antifungal activity of beta-1, 3-glucanase from wheat leaves]

Treatment with mercuric chloride (0.01%), salicylic acid (10.0 mg/mL) or riboflavin (1 mmol/L) induced the beta-1, 3-glucanase activity in all the three wheat varieties i.e. 331, Kangdao 680 and Lumai 23 tested, with the strongest inductive effect on variety 331 by treatment with mercuric chloride (0.01%) for 24 h. From leaves of variety 331 treated with mercuric chloride (0.01%) for 24 h, a kind of beta-1, 3-glucanase was purified by fractional precipitation with ammonium sulphate, Phenyl-Sepharose chromatography (Phenyl-Sepharose Fast Flow), ion-exchange chromatography (DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow) and gel-filtration chromatography (Sephacryl S-100). Through SDS-PAGE and gel filtration, the molecular weight of the purified beta-1, 3-glucanase was determined to be about 52.0-53.6 kD. The purified beta-1, 3-glucanase showed antifungal activity against both Alternaria longipes and Rhizoctonia cerealis on tested plates, and inhibited the germ tube elongation and spore germination of Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium omysporum f.sp cucumerinum.