GENETIC ENGINEERING OF PLANTS FOR BACTERIAL DISEASE RESISTANCE

THE RESEARCH DESCRIBED WILL TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF EXPRESSING THE ANTIBACTERIAL PROTEIN CECROPIN IN PLANT CELLS. INITIALLY THE RESEARCHERS WILL SYNTHESIZE THE GENE, THEN PRODUCE CECROPIN PEPTIDE IN E. COLI. THIS PROTEIN WILLBE USED IN ANTIBODY PREPARATION AND IN LETHALITY TESTS AGAINST BACTERIAL PLANT PATHOGENS. SUBSEQUENTLY THEY WILL ENGINEER THE CECROPIN GENE FOR EXPRESSION IN PLANT CELLS, THEN INTRODUCE THIS CHIMAERIC GENE INTO TOMATO LEAF DISC CELLS BY AGROBACTERIUM TRANSFORMATION. TRANSFORMED CALLUS TISSUE AND TRANSFORMED PLANTS (IF AVAILABLE) WILL BE EVALUATED FOR THE EXPRESSION OF THE CECROPIN PROTEIN (AT THERNA, PROTEIN AND BIOCONTROL LEVEL).