Asian Journal of Bio Science

S. Asha ¹, P. C. Rajendran ¹

Affiliations
1 Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, College of Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur (Kerala), IN

Abstract

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), popular as ‘king of spices’ is one of the important export earning spice crop of India. One of the serious reasons causing the low productivity of black pepper during the last decades was the incidence of foot rot disease caused by the Phytophthora capsici in the pepper plantations of Kerala, the major pepper producer state in India. Since all the available cultivated varieties are susceptible to this disease, an attempt was done for utilising the disease resistance available in the related pepper species by adopting a different plant transformation approach. The in planta transformation via pollen tube pathway was done in the black pepper variety Panniyur-2, using the total exogenous DNA of Piper colubrinum , a wild relative species of Piper resistant to the dreaded foot rot disease caused by Phytophthora capsici. The resulting putative transformant seeds were germinated in vitro by embryo rescue technique. These germinated putative transformants were later subjected to in vitro multiplication, elongation and ischolar_maining. These cultures were screened in vitro in the ischolar_maining phase by incorporating the toxic culture filtrate of the pathogen P. capsici in the ischolar_maining media. The ischolar_mained putative transformant plantlets were hardened and screened artificially for disease tolerance under ex vitro conditions. The survived seedlings were planted out. The RAPD analysis of the plantlets with the decamer primers OPA 08 and OPG 08 have shown variation in banding pattern compared to the DNA recipient parent P. nigrum variety Panniyur-2.

Keywords

Black Pepper, Piper nigrum, Piper colubrinum, In planta Transformation, Pollen Tube Pathway Transformation, In vitro Germination, Embryo Rescue, Disease Screening, RAPD Analysis.

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P. C. Rajendran ¹, Manjula V. Nair ¹

Affiliations
1 Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, College of Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur (Kerala), IN

Abstract

Garcinia gummi-gutta var. gummigutta (L) Rob. is a polygamodioecious tree indigenous to India remained neglected even though they are highly valued in South Indian cuisine and in traditional systems of medicine. Poor seed germination and breaking the prolonged seed dormancy could achieve within 7 days by in vitro inoculation of ¾ mature seed on to ½ MS basal medium. Genetic basis for sex specificities in sexually dimorphic plant species could identify by isozyme analysis of esterase using PAGE and DNA finger prints using RAPD-PCR techniques. RAPD screening using 35 random primers has identified the female specific KIT-C 14 and KIT-C 15 oligonucleotide decamer primers. Enhanced germination per cent with breaking seed dormancy and gender dimorphism at juvenile stage would bring about a revolutionary gallop for the extensive cultivation of Malabar tamarind or kodampuli under the homestead cropping system and massive afforestation programme.

Keywords

Malabar Tamarind, Sex Determination, Seed Dormancy, In Vitro Germination, Gel Electrophoresis, Isozyme Banding, RAPD Analysis, Garcinia gummi-gutta Var. Gummigutta (L.) Rob.

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P. C. Rajendran ¹, V. A. Rasmi ¹, Heera Thomas ¹

Affiliations
1 Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, College of Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur (Kerala), IN

Abstract

The inoculated immature endosperm bits of 1cm size onto ½ MS supplemented with 3.0 mgl-1 each of BA and Kinetin induced adventitious buds and subsequent proliferation of multiple shoots. These triploid plantlets were ischolar_mained, hardened and planted out. Development of regeneration protocol from triploid parenchymatous tissue of endosperm not only overcome the dearth of demands for true-to-type propagules but also surpassed the gender dimorphism. Evolving seedlessness through in vitro endosperm culture may also be helpful to avoid the processing difficulty and to support the establishment of domestic HCA extraction unit for Women empowerment.

Keywords

Garcinia gummi-gutta Var. Gummigutta, Polygamodioecious, Kodampuli, Immature Seeds, Endosperm Culture, Triploid, Seedlessness, Life Style Diseases, Shoot Bud Differentiation, Regeneration, Direct Organogenesis.

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