Rice chitinase gene as a tool to develop fungal resistant plants—A review

Plant diseases are caused by a variety of plant pathogens including fungi and their management requires the use of techniques like transgenic technology, molecular biology and genetics. Genes encoding chitinase can deteriorate fungal cell-wall components by enhancing the pathogenesis related (PR) proteins, so as to develop fungal disease-resistant plants via recombinant DNA technology. Rice chitinase gene is attractive candidate for this approach. Rice chitinase gene has been inserted to a variety of plants and all plants showed fungal disease resistance. In this review, different plants showing fungal disease resistance on insertion of rice chitinase gene through transgenic approach are reviewed.