Proceedings of the XLVII Italian
Society of Agricultural Genetics - SIGA Annual Congress
Verona,
Italy - 24/27 September, 2003
ISBN 88-900622-4-X
Poster
Abstract - 3.02
STUDIES OF GENES INVOLVED IN THE METABOLIC STEPS OF
INDIGO PRODUCTION IN ISATIS TINCTORIA
M. DURANTE*, M.
MANZO*, R. BERNARDI*, F. CECCONI*, M. SALVINI**, L. ANGELINI***
*)
Dipartimento di Biologia delle Piante Agrarie, Sezione di Genetica, Via
Matteotti 1/B, 56124 Pisa
mdurante@agr.unipi.it, rbernard@agr.unipi.it
**)
Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa
***)
Dipartimento di Agronomia e Gestione dell’Agro-ecosistema, Via S. Michele
degli Scalzi 2, 56124 Pisa
Indigo, Isatis tinctoria,
tryptophanase gene
Plant stain
utilisation is well documented from ancient times: British Picti
represent a historical known case of a people using skin decoration with indigo
extracted from the woad plant Isatis tinctoria L.
The present work
aims at the genetic improvement of plants producing the indigo stain and to the re-introduction of plants
yielding high indigo. In this direction, we are interested to individuate the
genes involved in the metabolic pathway of indigo biosynthesis in Isatis
tinctoria L., for their use in assisted selection programs.
We have
hypothesised candidates genes involved in the metabolic pathways and we have
designed degenerated primers for the amplification and isolation of these
genes. At the moment, we are studying the alfa-tryptophanase gene involved in
the the first step of indican biosynthesis, the indigo precursor normally stored in vacuoli, and the
beta-D-glucosidase gene involved in indican hydrolysis leading to the release
of indoxyl groups and indigo synthesis.
In this context,
we have isolated plants with high indigo production, we have amplified the beta-D-Glucosidase and the
alfa-Tryptophanase genes.
Moreover, the
expression of these genes during different developmental stages is under study
through analysis of mRNA biosynthesis.
This work is
carried out within the EC Spindigo Project.