HETEROLOGOUS EXPRESSION OF OsRGLP1 GENE INDUCES RESISTANCE AGAINST FUSARIUM INFECTION IN TRANSGENIC POTATO

Abstract

Germins and germin-like proteins (GLPs) are a large and extremely diverse family of plant proteins that are present ubiquitously and are also involved in many of the processes important for plant development and defense mechanism. Potato is susceptible to many kinds of diseases, especially to fungal pathogens, therefore genetic engineering of potato for disease resistance is an important strategy study and apply disease resistance. GM technology can be an effective tool for crop improvement. The transgenic approach was pursued to introduce rice (Oryza sativa) germin like protein gene OsRGLP1 via Agrobacterium mediated transformation. Confirmation of the presence of the gene was carried out  by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). One-step reverse transcriptase PCR was used for transcriptional analysis and expression was quantified in real time in all PCR positive putative transgenic lines.  Three high expression lines were selected to check the effect of transgene OsRGLP1 on morphology and growth. A significant difference was observed in plant height, shoot number, number of leaves and tubers harvested in comparison with wild type control. Overexpression of OsRGLP1 exhibited increased foliar resistance when exposed to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. tuberosi in transgenic lines suggesting its role in nonspecific fungal resistance. The results from the present study suggest an important role of OsRGLP1 in establishment of plant defense responses.