Biotech Updates

Mungbean Expressing BjNPR1 Show Better Resistance Against Seedling Rot Fungus

June 17, 2011

Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) is an important pulse crop especially in semi-arid tropics. One of the pathogens affecting production of the crop is Rhizoctonia solani, a soil-borne fungus that causes dry rot disease. S. Vijayan and P. B. Kirti from the University of Hyderabad transformed mungbean with BjNPR1, a non-expressor of pathogenesis related gene from mustard, with the use of Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

Transformation in the 15 plants was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The plants were subjected to bioassay with R. solani and exhibited moderate to high level of resistance depending on the level of expression of the gene.

Read the abstract at http://www.springerlink.com/content/u021161j7413pw48/.