Cornell Research Foundation Inc.

Biochos As

Arne Tronsmo

Gary E Harman

Matteo Lorito

Christopher K Hayes

Roxanne M Broadway

Antonio Di Pietro

Morten Sorlie

Berit Bjugan Aam

Md Hafizur Rahman

Sonja Klemsdahl

Anne Line Norberg

Linda Hjeljord

Vincent Eijsink

Morten SØRLIE

Anne Line Filtvedt

The present invention provides a composition comprising (i) chitosan or chitopoly- or chitooligo-saccharides thereof, wherein said chitosan or chitopoly- or chitooligo-saccharides thereof comprise &#x3b2;-(1-4)-linked D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine monomers and have a degree of acetylation between 0.05 and 0.20 and an average degree of polymerization &#x2264;250 (molecular weight &#x2264;42,000 Da), and (ii) a fungicide not containing chitopoly- or chitooligo-saccharides.

Composition comprising chitosan and a fungicide

Two chitinases from,P1 (ATCC 74058) show chitin-containing-fungus-inhibiting activity. One is an endochitinase and the other is a chitobiase. Both have molecular weights of 40 kDa and isoelectric points of 3.9. A &lgr;gtll recombinant encoding for the endochitinase has been prepared (ATCC 55338) and the gene encoding for the endochitinase has been removed from the DNA of the recombinant by the restriction enzyme, Not I. Endochitinases and chitobiases including the two purified from,strain P1 demonstrate synergy with each other in anti-fungal effect.

Purified chitinases and use thereof

Two chitinases from Trichoderma harzianum P1 (ATCC 74058) show chitin-containing-fungus-inhibiting activity. One is an endochitinase and the other is a chitobiase. Both have molecular weights of 40 kDa and isoelectric points of 3.9. Endochitinases and chitobiases including the two purified from Trichoderma harzianum strain P1 demonstrate synergy with each other in antifungal effect. Isolated gene encoding for the endochitinase has the sequence set forth in the Sequence Listing as SEQ ID NO:1.

Gene encoding endochitinase

Two chitinases from Trichoderma harzianum P1 (ATCC 74058) show chitin-containing-fungus-inhibiting activity. One is an endochitinase and the other is a chitobiase. Both have molecular weights of 40 kDa and isoelectric points of 3.9. Endochitinases and chitobiases including the two purified from Trichoderma harzianum strain P1 demonstrate synergy with each other in anti-fungal effect. Isolated gene encoding for the endochitinase has the sequence set forth in the Sequence Listing as SEQ ID NO:1.

Gene encoding for endochitinase

Two chitinases from Trichoderma harzianum P1 (ATCC 74058) show chitin-containing-fungus- and insect-inhibiting activity. The first is an endochitinase having a molecular weight of 36 kDa and an isoelectric point of 5.3.+-.0.2. The second is an exochitinase having a molecular weight of 36 kDa an an isoelectric point of 4.4.+-.0.2. The chitinases can be applied in contact with chitin-containing fungus or insect as an inhibitor thereof. The chitinases can be applied to plants or to soil around plants which need production from a chitinase-containing pest. The chitinases can also be used to isolate genes coding for them which can be inserted into a genome of a plant needing protection from a chitinase-containing pest or into the genome of a microorganism to provide transgenic microorganism useful to produce enzyme or as a biocontrol agent.

Growing community of inventors

Aas, Norway

Arne Tronsmo