Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation in Pearl millet Pennisetum glaucum L R Br for stress tolerance

Abstract

In order to meet the ever increasing demand of food production and newlineproductivity without increasing the area, we need some advanced tool other than newlineplant breeding for the same. Various environmental stresses which include both newlineabiotic and biotic stress effect the growth, survival and productivity of crop/plant. newlineDue to increasing problem of global warming and changing climate has resulted in newlinethe decrease in the productivity of pearl millet. newlinePennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br. (Pearl millet) is one of the most important newlinecrops of the world, which is mostly cultivated in the arid and semi arid regions. It is newlinethe member of genus Pennisetum of Poaceae family and was formerly known newlinePennisetum americanum. It has been considered under orphan crop because a little newlinework has been reported for the improvement by the scientist community. It is the newlinerich source of protein and is used as food (humans) and as fodder (animals). newlineIn the present investigation an attempt was made to study the effect of both newlineabiotic (salinity and drought) and biotic (fungal infection) stress by studying the newlinemorphological parameters, biochemical parameters and antioxidant enzyme activity newlineon un-transformed and transformed P. glaucum. Under abiotic stress both salinity newlineand drought the morphological parameters that included seed germination, newlineroot/shoot length and weight were greatly influenced. Biochemical parameters newlineincluded protein, proline, free amino acid, chlorophyll and MDA content. Proline newlineand free amino acid content increased under both abiotic and biotic stress, we can newlinesay that a strong correlation was found between stress treatment (salinity, drought newlineand biotic) and accumulation of osmolytes. The antioxidant enzyme activity (CAT, newlineAPX and SOD) also played an important role in scavenging the ROS generated newlineunder stressful condition in plants. The antioxidant enzyme activity also showed a newlinepositive correlation with increasing stress intensity, but only CAT and APX was newlinefound to be active during the stress treatments. newlineAn efficient in-vitro regeneration protoc