We have demonstrated that wheatwin1, a wheat pathogenesis-related protein of class 4 (PR4), has ribonuclease activity. Both native and recombinant proteins hydrolyse RNA from wheat coleoptils and have antifungal activity. Sepharosebound wheatwin1 is able to interact with either wheat or Fusarium culmorum RNA. 3D modelling studies showed that, like ribonucleases A and T1, the action mechanism should involve two His residues, an Arg residue and an Asp residue.

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Five new genes belonging to the pathogenesis-related (PR) 4 family have been cloned and characterised in Triticum aestivum. Two full-length genes, named wPR4e and wPR4f-b, were isolated by library screening, demonstrating the presence of a small intron only in wPR4f-b. Two other PR4 genes (wPR4f-a and wPR4f-c) were isolated by PCR, showing very high sequence identity with wPR4f-b and constituting a new sub-family. Transcription start analysis was performed by RLM-RACE, leading to the isolation of a fifth gene, named wPR4g, that is highly homologous to wPR4e; both encode putative vacuolar PR4 proteins (Wheatwin7 and Wheatwin5, respectively). wPR4e and wPR4f sub-family genes are induced by F. culmorum infection, by chemicals that lead to systemic acquired resistance and by wounding, showing different spatial and temporal induction pathways. In silico analysis of the 5' untranslated regions of wPR4e and wPR4f-b revealed the presence of several abiotic and biotic stress-responsive elements. wPR4e and wPR4f-b putative promoters were fused to the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene, and transient and stable expression assays demonstrated that both are able to drive expression of GUS. Characterisation of these new PR4 genes and particularly of their 5' untranslated regions, as well as the determination of their expression patterns, will contribute to our understanding of the responsiveness of this gene family to various stress conditions and of its role in plant defence.