Thaumatin gene confers resistance to fungal pathogens as well as tolerance to abiotic stresses in transgenic tobacco plants

• Published in: Biologia plantarum Vol. 51; no. 1; pp. 135 - 141
• Main Authors: Rajam, M.V, Chandola, N, Saiprasad Goud, P, Singh, D, Kashyap, V, Choudhary, M.L, Sihachakr, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2007
• Subjects: AGENT PATHOGENE; CRECIMIENTO; CROISSANCE; DISEASE RESISTANCE; DROUGHT RESISTANCE; DROUGHT STRESS; EDULCORANT; EDULCORANTES; ENFERMEDADES FUNGOSAS; ESTRES DE SEQUIA; EXTRACTOS VEGETALES; EXTRAIT D'ORIGINE VEGETALE; FEUILLE; FUNGAL DISEASES; GENE; GENE TRANSFER; GENES; GRAINE; GROWTH; HOJAS; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_11042; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_2328; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_2392; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_24846; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_24993; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_27341; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_27619; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_28427; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_3214; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_33858; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_3394; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_34079; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_4243; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_5017; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_5177; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_5630; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_642; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_6520; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_6751; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_6946; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_7538; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_8166; INHIBICION; INHIBITION; LEAVES; MALADIE FONGIQUE; MICELIO; MYCELIUM; NICOTIANA TABACUM; ORGANISMOS PATOGENOS; PATHOGENS; PCR; PLANT EXTRACTS; PLANTAS TRANSGENICAS; PLANTE TRANSGENIQUE; PYRRHOCORIS; PYTHIUM APHANIDERMATUM; RESISTANCE A LA SECHERESSE; RESISTANCE AUX FACTEURS NUISIBLES; RESISTANCE AUX MALADIES; RESISTANCE TO INJURIOUS FACTORS; RESISTENCIA A AGENTES DANINOS; RESISTENCIA A LA ENFERMEDAD; RESISTENCIA A LA SEQUIA; RHIZOCTONIA SOLANI; SALINIDAD; SALINITE; SALINITY; SEEDS; SEMILLA; STRESS DU A LA SECHERESSE; SUPERVIVENCIA; SURVIE; SURVIVAL; SWEETENERS; THAUMATIN; TRANSFERENCIA DE GENES; TRANSFERT DE GENE; TRANSGENIC PLANTS
• ISSN: 0006-3134; 1573-8264
• DOI: 10.1007/s10535-007-0026-8

We report here the development of transgenic tobacco plants with thaumatin gene of Thaumatococcus daniellii under the control of a strong constitutive promoter-CaMV 35S. Both polymerase chain reaction and genomic Southern analysis confirmed the integration of transgene. Transgenic plants exhibited enhanced resistance with delayed disease symptoms against fungal diseases caused by Pythium aphanidermatum and Rhizoctonia solani. The leaf extract from transgenic plants effectively inhibited the mycelial growth of these pathogenic fungi in vitro. The transgenic seeds exhibited higher germination percentage and seedling survival under salinity and PEG-mediated drought stress as compared with the untransformed controls. These observations suggest that thaumatin gene can confer tolerance to both fungal pathogens and abiotic stresses.