Biotech Updates

Breeding GM Rice Restorer Line With Multiple Resistance

November 23, 2007

A group of Chinese researchers successfully obtained transgenic rice restorer lines with multiple resistance to the striped stem borer (SSB), bacterial blight, and different herbicides. The lines were made by breeding two genetically modified (GM) rice varieties: Zhongguo91 which harbors the genes cry1Ab and bar for SSB and herbicide resistance respectively, and Yujing6 which contained Xa21 gene (resistance to the bacterial blight). The elite restorer line Hui773 was used as the recipient. The cry1Ab and bar genes were co-expressed for numerous generations and no gene silencing was observed. The obtained rice lines exhibited desirable agronomic properties in addition to multiple resistance. The study demonstrated the possibility of obtaining transgenic hybrid rice cultivars by breeding transgenic restorer lines.

 Read the abstract of the paper at http://www.springerlink.com/content/e4643953174p2707/?p=3608eca48f204dd78a3f90ccf17b5251&pi=1 The complete paper is available to subscribers at http://www.springerlink.com/content/e4643953174p2707/fulltext.pdf