التقويم الجزيئي و الوظيفي للمورثة كيتيناز Chitinase في الحمص المعدل وراثيا

Abstract EN

To improve resistance of chickpea against a number of fungal diseases, a chitinase gene was introduced and tested for its antifungal activity.

The present study confirmed the integration of the antifungal chitinase gene in chickpea plants using PCR with specific primers, gene expression using reverse transcription (RT–PCR) and the number of transferred DNA fragments through DNA hybridization.

Conidial spores of Fusarium oxysporum f.

sp.

ciceris were treated in transgenic plant extracts for functional assessment.

Electrophoresis of PCR products confirmed the integration and stability of chitinase gene in chickpea progeny in subsequent generations.

The chitinase gene was transcribed successfully into mRNA and no pre-transcription silencing was reported.

Only one T-DNA copy was identified in the transgenic plants which enhanced the transgene expression and reduced the possibilities of gene silencing.

Chitinase enzyme exhibited an antifungal effect through the inhibition of conidial spores germination and drastically reduced the number of Fusarium colonies on PDA medium