Proceedings of the XLVI Italian
Society of Agricultural Genetics - SIGA Annual Congress
Giardini
Naxos, Italy - 18/21 September, 2002
ISBN 88-900622-3-1
Poster
Abstract - 5.25
PROJECT
EURICE: ANTIFUNGAL GENES IN RICE AS A STRATEGY FOR CROP PROTECTION –
SECOND YEAR ACTIVITIES
LUPOTTO E. - (coordinator)
on behalf of the EURICE (QLK5-CT1999-1484) Consortium
Istituto
Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura, Via Stezzano 24, 24126 Bergamo (Italy)
biotechnology,
crop protection, fungal pathogens, defence genes
The
Project EURICE aims to improve and evaluate the use of genes involved in
defence against pathogenic fungi in the control of rice blast (Magnaporthe
grisea) and other fungal diseases, as major pests for rice
in Europe. This approach aims to create new rice genotypes enhanced for
resistance and addresses to the obtention of modified cultivars protected
against massive attacks of the pathogens, as well as to an evaluation of the
genetically modified genotypes in the environment. Three genes of different origin,
shown to be implicated in the process of fungal infection, were chosen as
potential source of resistance because of their different characteristics and
modality of action: the maize gene b32, the fungal gene
AFP, and the insect gene cecA. They
were initially cloned under the strong monocot promoter ubi1 of maize and
introduced into chosen European rice varieties (Oryza sativa L.
ssp. japonica). The rice genotypes chosen are representative of the main rice
cultivating regions in Europe: Italy, Spain, Greece and France. First events of
transformation were subjected to molecular and genetic analyses; expression of
the transgenes in leaf tissues at various stages of plant development was
confirmed, and seed amplified for the first field trial, which is being carried
out in Italy, summer season 2002. Meantime, the most susceptile old Italian
variety Maratelli was transformed with single and combination of genes in order
to assess the “gene pyramiding” strategy. To date, in vitro assays
and pathogenicity tests on primary reganerants and T1 plants confirmed
protection against leaf blast for at least two of the three genes under study.
During the second year, a potential inducible promoter was also identified and
confirmed to be suitable for the project’s purposes: the maize ZmPR4
promoter cloned from maize. Expression vector were constructed with the
antifungal genes driven by the short version of ZmPR4 and plants are being
raised. The conventional field trials carried out in Greece within the project,
established an efficient protocol for the evaluation of leaf and neck blast
disease in the field, by means of the Honey Comb design, and pathogenicity
assays in greehouse conditions supported by confocal microscopy analyses
allowed to define parameters for a detailed study of the plant/pathogen
interaction. Objectives and detailed results of the second year activities are
reported in the poster.