Author(s): SILVA-WERNECK, J. O.; BARROS, L. M. G.; NEVES, M. da S.; FALCAO, L. L.; MARCELLINO, L. H.

Summary: The cupuassu tree (Theobroma grandiflorum) is an Amazonian fruit species, whose production is highly affected by the fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa, which causes the witches? broom (WB) disease. Several genes potentially involved in the response to the pathogen have been identified in cupuassu, including some that code for PR (pathogenesis related)-like proteins. In this work, the gene TgPRa was selected for functional studies by heterologous expression in tomato Micro-Tom-Rg1 (MT-Rg1). This plant presents compatible interaction with M. perniciosa (biotype S), being a good model for WB studies. The TgPRa gene was cloned into pBI121, under the control of the Arabidopsis ACT2 promoter. The resulting vector, pBI121-TgPRa, also containing the gus reporter gene and the nptII selection gene, was inserted into Agrobacterium tumefaciens GV3101, which was used in the MT-Rg1 transformation. Kanamycin resistant and GUS-positive T0 plants, potentially transformed with the gene of interest, were obtained, what will be confirmed by PCR and Southern blot analysis. Plants are being grown to obtain MT-Rg1 homozygous for TgPRa. These plants will, in near future, be submitted to bioassays with M. perniciosa and other phytopathogenic fungi, aiming to evaluate the role of TgPRa in the development of WB, as well as other diseases, including some of interest to tomato cultivation.

Publication year: 2018

Types of publication: Booklets

Unit: Embrapa Genetic Resources & Biotechnology

Keywords: Cupuaçu, Gene PR, Tomate Micro-Tom, Tomateiro, Transformação, Transgênico