Euphytica (2009) 165, 333-344

Morad Jafari, Peyman Norouzi, Mohammad Ali Malboobi, Behzad Ghareyazie, Mostafa Valizadeh, Seyed Aboulghasem Mohammadi and Mozhgan Mousavi (2009)
Enhanced resistance to a lepidopteran pest in transgenic sugar beet plants expressing synthetic cry1Ab gene
Euphytica 165 (2), 333-344
Abstract: Two diploid sugar beet genotypes of agronomical importance were transformed using Agrobactrium tumefaciens harboring pBI35Scry containing a synthetic cry1Ab gene. Leaf blade with attached shoot bases, a highly regenerative tissue, were used as explant substratum for transformation. PCR screening with cry1Ab-specific primers showed the presence of transgene in more than 50% of the regenerated kanamycin-resistant plants after treatment with the antibiotic. A transformation rate of 8.8-12.2% (depending on genotype) was achieved as revealed by genomic DNA dot blotting. The intact integration of transgene cassette into the genome was furthermore confirmed by Southern blot analysis. The expression of the cry1Ab gene encoding a truncated endotoxin (67 kDa) at about 0.1% of total soluble protein was achieved in the leaves of transgenic plants as shown by Western blot analysis. Bioassays under in vitro conditions with Spodoptera littoralis, one of the most important pests in sugar beet fields, demonstrated enhanced resistance against this pest. The inheritance of the inserted transgene was confirmed in F₁ plants obtained through crossing of T₀ plants with a cytoplasmic male sterile line. Transgenic plants are currently grown in a greenhouse and will be subjected to further bioassay analyses against other lepidopteran pests of sugar beet.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
genetical engin./transgenic plants

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Spodoptera littoralis	Beet/sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris)
Bacillus thuringiensis genes in crops (entomopathogen)	Spodoptera littoralis	Beet/sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris)
Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A-toxin (entomopathogen)	Spodoptera littoralis	Beet/sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris)