Transformation of Insect and Herbicide Resistance Genes in Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Authors
M. Awan
M. A. Abass
A. Muzaffar
A. Ali
B. Tabassum
A. Q. Rao
I. Ahmad Nasir
T. Husnain
Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore 53700, Pakistan.
Abstract
Manipulation of different genes in crop plants to get desirable characters has become an important tool of plant biotechnology. In the current study, cotton variety MNH-786 was modified for its characteristics to show resistance against lepidopteran insects and herbicide by transformation of Cry1Ac+Cry2A and GTGene cloned in a different cassette under 35S Promoter. Mature embryos of cotton MNH-786 were injured by a sharp blade at the shoot apex and infected with the Agrobacterim tumefaciens harboring transgene constructs. Transformed cotton plants were successfully acclimatized in pots and later the green house. Gene specific PCR and ELISA confirmed the transgene presence and its protein expression which was considerably higher in transformed plants. Overall transformation efficiency was 1.05%. All larvae of Helicoverpa armigera feeding on transgenic cotton leaves of T0 were found dead as compared to the control ones feeding on leaves from non-transgenic cotton. Transgenic plants also survived a glyphosate spray dose of 1,900 ml acre-1 as compared to herbs/weeds growing along with them, which burned completely five days post glyphosate application.

Keywords

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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 17, Issue 2
March and April 2015
Pages 287-298