Current Science

Muhammad Naveed Shahid ¹, Adil Jamal ², Sarfraz Kiani ³, Javed Iqbal Wattoo ⁴, Bushra Rashid ³, Tayyab Husnain ³

Affiliations
1 Department of Botany, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Township, Lahore, PK
2 College of Nursing, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah-715, SA
3 Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, PK
4 Department of Biotechnology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, IN

Abstract

Cotton is the most important cash and fibrous crop, and is grown in more than 50 countries of the world. Cotton crop yield is seriously affected by soil salinity. This deleterious effect can be reduced by genetic modification in stress-susceptible cotton plants. Salt stress tolerant gene gaPGR5 (proton gradient regulator 5) was isolated from Gossypium arboreum and transformed into the stress-susceptible cotton cultivar (G. hirsutum). The gaPGR5 gene was cloned into pCAMBIA- 1301 vector and transformed in young embryos by Agrobacterium-mediated method. Plant GUS gene was used as reporter gene that showed blue colouration during histochemical assay. Molecular analysis of transgenic plants was done up to T2 generation. Selection of salt-tolerant transgenic plants was done by salt-stress (NaCl) treatment with different concentrations in a hydroponic culture. Transgene expression in salt-tolerant transgenic plants was evaluated through quantitative real-time PCR. Maximum transgene expression was recorded in those plants which were tolerant to higher salt concentration (175 mM NaCl) and vice versa. The plants which give higher transgene expression against salt stress are valuable for cultivation in salt-affected areas.

Keywords

Gossypium arboreum, Gossypium hirsutum, Proton Gradient Regulator, Salt-Stress Tolerance.

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Muhammad Naveed Shahid ¹, Syeda Shehnaz ¹, Muhammad Shehzad Iqbal ², Aneela Shabbeer ¹, Adil Jamal ³, Sana Khalid ⁴

Affiliations
1 Department of Botany, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Lahore, PK
2 Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, PK
3 Science and Research College of Nursing, Ummal Qura University, Makkah, SA
4 Department of Botany, Lahore College for Woman University, Lahore, PK

Abstract

Peach (Prunus persica) is a deciduous, edible, stone fruit producing plant, belonging to the family Rosaceae. The plant is prone to various pathogens and one of them is the plum pox virus (PPV). This is a lethal virus of peach plant causing pox disease of plum. Its attack results in 83%–100% yield loss in highly susceptible varieties of peach plant. The complete genome of PPV is 9791 base pairs with positive-sense single strand. The full-length genome of PPV encodes a large polyprotein initially, which cleaves proteolytically into ten mature proteins – coat protein, helper component proteinase, P1, P3, viral genome-linked protein, 6K1, 6K2, cylindrical inclusion protein, cylindrical inclusion protein b and NIa-pro-proteins. The objective of this study is to identify such sites in the PPV genome which can be targeted by PPV-derived miRNAs through target prediction computational tools/algorithms. A total of 214 mature miRNAs were chosen from the miRNA data­base to check their complementarity with the PPV genome. Minimum free energy, folding energy, seed pairing, target-site accessibility, pattern recognition and multiple target sites were the parameters considered for target prediction algorithms. Two out of 214 miRNAs were predicted as potential against plum pox virus by three of four tools used for target prediction. Thus, the results encourage generating transgenic, PPV-resi­stant peach plants by expression of predicted miRNAs.

Keywords

miRNAs, Peach Plant, Plum Pox Virus, Yield Loss, Target Prediction Algorithms.

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