A endochitinase gene (Tch) from the fungus Trichoderma viride was introduced into broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Sixty-eight putative transformants were obtained and the presence of the Tch gene was confirmed by both PCR and Southern blot analysis. RT-PCR analysis showed an accumulation of the transcript encoding the endochitinase protein in the transgenic plants. Using real-time quantitative PCR, the expression profiling of endochitinase gene was analyzed. Primary transformants and selfed progeny were examined for expression of the endochitinase using a fluorometric assay and for their resistance to the pathogenic fungi Botrytis cinerea and Rhizoctonia solani. The endochitinase activities in T0 in vitro plants, T0 mature plants and T1 mature plants were correlated with leaf lesions, and the transgenic line T618 had high endochitinse activities of 102.68, 114.53 and 120.27 nmol L–1 MU min–1 mg–1 protein in the three kinds of plants, respectively. The endochitinase activity showed a positive correlation with the resistance to the pathogens. Most transgenic T0 broccoli had increased resistance to the pathogens of B. cinerea and R. solani in leaf assays and this resistance was confirmed to be inheritable. These findings suggested that expression of the Tch gene from T. viride could enhance resistance to pathogenic fungi in Brassica species.

The whole-plant morphology, leaf ultrastructure, photosynthesis as well as enzyme activities of two tomato cultivars (Meifen-2 and Hongsheng) to differential light availabilities (450-500 μmol m-2 s-1, 75-100 μmol m-2 s-1) were examined in controlled environment. The results showed that the plant biomass and root/shoot ratio decreased and the specific leaf area increased significantly under the low light condition. There was a significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities and decrease in soluble sugar and protein contents in LL-grown plants. For both cultivars, downregulation of photosynthesis and electron transport components were observed in LL-grown plants, the inhibition of the photosynthesis under the LL condition could be partially explained by the decrease of stomata density and by the changes of chloroplast.