Transgenic Cassava Plants Resist Pathogen and Insect Attacks
December 11, 2009| |
Researchers at the National Taiwan University have developed tobacco plants with dual resistance to the bacterial soft rot disease caused by Erwinia carotovora and damping-off disease caused by Pythium aphanidermatum. The plants also showed increased resistance against the Helicoverpa armigera larvae.
The tobacco plants express stacked genes that code for sporamin and CeCPI, protease inhibitors from sweet potato and taro, driven by the wound and pathogen responsive pMSPOA promoter. The researchers observed that the tobacco lines showed limited stomata penetration by zoospores, poor germination, and hyphal elongation.
"Our results suggest that stacking protease-inhibitor genes is an effective strategy for engineering crops with resistance against insects and pathogens," the researchers wrote in a paper published by the Plant Biotechnology Journal. Plant protease inhibitors are thought to play an important role in defense against insect and pathogen attack.
Download the paper at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7652.2009.00466.x
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