Generation and Characterization of PgPGIP1 Transgenic Wheat Plants with Enhanced Resistance to Take-all and Common Root Rot

Abstract

Take-all disease is primarily caused by a soil-borne fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis var.tritici(Ggt).The disease common root rot is mainly caused by fungal pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana(teleomorph Cochliobolus sativus).Both of them are important diseases of wheat(Triticum aestivum L.) worldwide.PgPGIP1,a polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein from Panax ginseng,can reduce the infection of some fungal phytopathogens through inhibiting the polygalacturonase activity of the pathogens.In this study,the full-length coding sequence of PgPGIP1 gene was synthesized,and the gene transformation vector pA25-PgPGIP1 was constructed.In the expression vector pA25-PgPGIP1,the PgPGIP1 gene can be expressed highly in monocot plants driving by maize ubiquitin promoter.Embryo callus of Yangmai 18 was bombarded by the gold particle containing pA25-PgPGIP1.The transgenic wheat plants from T0 to T4 generations were subjected to PCR,RT-PCR,and Q-RT-PCR assays.Results showed that the PgPGIP1 gene was indeed introduced into four transgenic wheat lines,and inherited from T0 to T4 generations and expressed.After inoculation with Ggt and B.sorokiniana,the disease evaluations showed that the four transgenic wheat lines expressing PgPGIP1 displayed an enhanced resistances to take-all and common root rot compared with untransformed Yangmai 18.