Agrotechnology

Physiological and molecular characterization of transgenic pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan Mill. Sp (L)) plants over expressing citrate synthase gene for phosphorous uptake

2^nd International Conference on Agricultural & Horticultural Sciences

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Hyderabad, India February 03-05, 2014

Manasa K M and Aftab Hussain I S

Posters: Agrotechnol

Abstract:

Phosphorus, a macronutrient is essential for many growth processes and biochemical reactions involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and energy transfer in plants. It is highly immobile in the plant system and is present in bound forms with other elements like Fe, Al, Ca and Mg in the soil and become unavailable to plants. So, plants have adopted several strategies, to take up phosphorus (P) from the soil under P deficient conditions. Exudation of organic acids like citrate is one such strategy where in the released citrate solubilizes the bound P and makes it available to plants. With this view pigeon pea plants over expressing gene encoding an enzyme citrate synthase ( DcCS ), under the control of 35s promoter were developed by using Agrobacterium mediated in planta transformation technique with the intention of increasing synthesis and exudation of citrate. The putative transgenic plants over expressing gene encoding citrate synthase showed faster germination than wild type and also performed better than wild type in terms of plant height, leaf number, SCMR and total chlorophyll content under P sufficient and P deficient condition. Leaf tissue phosphorus, was higher in the transgenic plants under P sufficient condition than the P deficient condition. Transgenic plants showed an increased citrate synthase activity, citrate synthase content and also citrate content in the root tissues. The citrate content increased with increase in the citrate synthase activity in the transgenic plants than wild type. Molecular analysis like PCR and Dot blot technique of putative transgenic pigeon pea plants confirmed the integration and expression of citrate synthase gene. The results demonstrated that transgenic pigeon pea plants over expressing DcCs gene had better uptake of phosphorous under P deficient condition compared to non transformed wild type

Biography :

Manasa K M has completed her M.Sc. (Agri) at the age of 23 years from Department of Crop Physiology, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore. At present she is pursuing Ph.D. degree in the Department of Crop Physiology, UAS, GKVK, Bangalore, under the supervision of Dr. R. S. Uma Shaanker, with the thesis entitled Identification and characterisation of endophytic fungi from natural habitats of different abiotic stress (drought, temperature and salinity) conditions.