hyd conference
TRANSCRIPT
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7/29/2019 Hyd Conference
1/1
World Congress on Biotechnology21-23 March 2011
Hyderabad, India
Gene mining from phreatophyteProsopis juliflora for generation of
transgenic rice tolerant to abiotic stresses
Dr. Suja George
M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Taramani Institutional area, India
Abstract
Abiotic stresses cause a drop in average yields for most crops. Development of crop plants able to grow
under stress conditions assumes importance in this context. Molecular dissection of stress adaptable
model plants is likely to throw light on novel pathways of tolerance. This study chose Prosopis juliflora, a
drought/heat/heavy metal tolerant tree ofFabaceae as the model plant for identifying and isolating genes
functioning in abiotic stress tolerance. A cDNA library was created from drought stressed leaf tissue ofP.
juliflora seedlings. Random sequencing of 1700 clones by EST analysis resulted in the identification of
several genes reported to function in tress tolerance in addition to many previously uncharacterized ones.
Once a suitable stress induced EST is identified, the gene is sequenced fully and characterized by
expression and biochemical analysis. A Reverse Northern experiment of 52 previously uncharacterized
genes under drought stress indicated up-regulation of many, implicating a possible function in drought
stress tolerance and paving way for better molecular insights into stress tolerance mechanisms of P.
juliflora. A GST gene from P. juliflora, upregulated under drought, salt, osmotic and oxidative stress was
transformed into the tobacco and the stress studies revealed protective function of this gene under
different abiotic stresses. This gene was transformed into Indica rice variety ADT-43 and the transgenicplants survived better under conditions of abiotic stress compared to control. The study is the first of its
kind in a leguminous tree species and adds to the existing knowledge on plant abiotic stress tolerance.
Biography
Dr. Suja George completed her PhD at the age of 28 from University of Madras on her thesis 'Genetic
engineering for abiotic stress tolerance using Prosopis juliflora (Swartz) DC. as a model plant system for
gene mining. she is currently working as a senior scientist at M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation
(MSSRF), Chennai, India. She has 13 research publications including reviews, original research papers
and book chapters and an international patent. She is currently Principal investigator / CO principal
investigator in as many as six research proposals MSSRF has submitted to various funding agencies forfinancial support.