Isolation, mapping and characterization of allelic polymorphism of Chi3-P1, a class III chitinase of Capsicum annuum L.

A class III chitinase gene, Chi-P1, was cloned from pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) by sequence-based PCR walking with degenerate primers. According to the DNA sequence, Chi3-P1 encodes a chitinase of 295 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 32 kDa. It shows sequence similarities of 62 and 57% on the DNA and amino acid levels, respectively, to the tobacco clone P29060 (Nicotiana tabacum). Neighbor-Joining analysis showed a close phylogenetic relationship of Chi3-P1 to the sub-branch of class In chitinase of Arabidopsis thaliana (P19172). DNA sequences of Chi3-P1 were compared between five pepper inbred lines, H3, Vania, Perennial, Yolo Wonder and Criollo de Morelos 334. The alignment revealed single nucleotide polymorphisms in the protein-coding region. The location of Chi3-P1 in the pepper genome was determined by genetic linkage analysis with RFLP and CAPS. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.