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Aflatoxin Control Through Addition Of Enhancement Of Antifungal Genes In Corn And Cotton

Objective

<p>Control aflatoxin contamination of cottonseed through incorporation of foreign antifungal genes into cotton by genetic engineering. Enhance resistance to Aspergillus flavus invasion in corn and cotton through induction of native host plant defense chemicals. Determine plant stress effects on ability of cotton to mount defenses against A. flavus. Identify resistant corn inbreds by assessing degree of kernel invasion by reporter gene-containing A. flavus strains.</p>

More information

Cotton meristematic tissue will be transformed with antifungal genes via the biolistic method and regenerated into fully developed cotton plants. To assess the effectiveness of candidate genes to inhibit growth of A. flavus in cotton, genes will be placed under constitutive control using the CaMV 35S promoter. Genes effective against A. flavus will be placed under more selective control (e.g., seed specific expression) using specific promoter elements. Cottonseed and corn kernels will be treated with elicitors derived from fungal cell walls and/or the lipoxygenase pathway in cotton to test for induction of native plant resistances to A. flavus. Anatomical and biochemical changes will be measured in cotton which are related to water and/or nutrient stress and to defensive capabilities against A. flavus invasion. A reporter gene-containing tester strain of A. flavus will be used to detect and localize antifungal activities/traits in individual corn kernels of inbred lines used in production of commercially used corn hybrids.

Investigators
Cary, Jeffrey; Brown, Robert; Cleveland, Thomas
Institution
Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine
Start date
2000
End date
2001
Project number
6435-42000-015-00
Categories