Intragenic Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer mimics micro-translocations without foreign DNA.

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Nicotiana tabacum, using an intragenic T-DNA region derived entirely from the N. tabacum genome, results in the equivalence of micro-translocations within genomes. Intragenic Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer was achieved in Nicotiana tabacum using a T-DNA composed entirely of N.

Somatic cell selection for chlorsulfuron-resistant mutants in potato: identification of point mutations in the acetohydroxyacid synthase gene.

Background: Somatic cell selection in plants allows the recovery of spontaneous mutants from cell cultures. When coupled with the regeneration of plants it allows an effective approach for the recovery of novel traits in plants. This study undertook somatic cell selection in the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.

Expression and purification of the antimicrobial peptide GSL1 in bacteria for raising antibodies.

Background: The Gibberellin Stimulated-Like (GSL) or Snakin peptides from higher plants are cysteine-rich, with broad spectrum activity against a range of bacterial and fungal pathogens. To detect GSL peptides in applications such as western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), specific antibodies that recognise GSL peptides are required. However, the intrinsic antimicrobial activity of these peptides is likely to prevent their expression alone in bacterial or yeast expression systems for subsequent antibody production in animal hosts.

Structure and expression of GSL1 and GSL2 genes encoding gibberellin stimulated-like proteins in diploid and highly heterozygous tetraploid potato reveals their highly conserved and essential status.

Background: GSL1 and GSL2, Gibberellin Stimulated-Like proteins (also known as Snakin-1 and Snakin-2), are cysteine-rich peptides from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) with antimicrobial properties. Similar peptides in other species have been implicated in diverse biological processes and are hypothesised to play a role in several aspects of plant development, plant responses to biotic or abiotic stress through their participation in hormone crosstalk, and redox homeostasis.

GSL2 over-expression confers resistance to Pectobacterium atrosepticum in potato.

Over-expression of the potato Gibberellin Stimulated-Like 2 ( GSL2 ) gene in transgenic potato confers resistance to blackleg disease incited by Pectobacterium atrosepticum and confirms a role for GSL2 in plant defence. The Gibberellin Stimulated-Like 2 (GSL2) gene (also known as Snakin 2) encodes a cysteine-rich, low-molecular weight antimicrobial peptide produced in potato plants. This protein is thought to play important roles in the innate defence against invading microbes.

Allele diversity for the apoplastic invertase inhibitor gene from potato.

In planta the enzymatic activity of apoplastic and vacuolar invertases is controlled by inhibitory proteins. Although these invertase inhibitors (apoplastic and vacuolar forms) have been implicated as contributing to resistance to cold-induced sweetening (CIS) in tubers of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), there is a lack of information on the structure and allelic diversity of the apoplastic invertase inhibitor genes.