Bromelain is a crude protein extract obtained from pineapple stems, which comprises a variety of proteolytic enzymes. It exhibits potential therapeutic activities against trauma, inflammation, autoimmune diseases and malignant disorders. In this study, we cloned
BAA1 (the gene encoding fruit bromelain) into a plant expression vector that was then used to transform
Brassica rapa
and overexpress
BAA1 under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. We demonstrate that constitutive overexpression of
BAA1 in
B. rapa confers enhanced resistance to the soft rot pathogen
Pectobacterium carotovorum ssp.
carotovorum
. These results suggest that it could be utilized for protecting plants from attack by bacterial pathogens.
