Abstract

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is the sixth most important oil seed crop in the world. Yield loss due to Cercospora leaf spot (early and late leaf spots) is a serious problem in cultivating this crop. Non-availability of resistant genes within crossable germplasms of peanut necessitates the use of a genetic engineering strategy to develop genetic resistance against various biotic stresses. The pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins are a group of plant proteins that are toxic to invading fungal pathogens, but are present in trace amounts in plants. The PR proteins, PR-5 and defensins, are potent antifungal proteins. A double gene construct with SniOLP (Solanum nigrum osmotin-like protein) and Rs-AFP2 (Raphanus sativus antifungal protein-2) genes under separate constitutive 35S promoters was used to transform peanut plants. Transgenic peanut plants expressing the SniOLP and Rs-AFP2 genes showed enhanced disease resistance to late leaf spot based on a reduction in number and size of lesions on leaves and delay in the onset of Phaeoisariopsis personata leaf spot disease. PCR, RT-PCR, and Southern hybridization analyses confirmed stable integration and expression of these genes in peanut transgenics. The results demonstrate the potential of SniOLP and Rs-AFP2 genes in developing late leaf spot disease resistance in transgenic peanut.

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