Transformação genética de batata (Solanum tuberosum), com gene codificador do peptídeo antimicrobiano Pg-AMP1

Abstract

Potato, known as essential "food for all", is one of the most important food crops in nowadays. It is the fourth most important crop in the world and is also a source for food security. However, many diseases caused by viruses, bacteria and fungi affect plant cultivation, resulting in losses and decrease the quality and safety of agricultural products. The control of plant diseases is mainly based on chemical pesticides that are currently subject to severe restrictions and regulatory requirements. Accordingly, various antimicrobial peptides have being the basis for new synthetic analogs designing and have been expressed in transgenic plants to confer disease protection. The development of transgenic plants containing a gene that synthesizes an antibacterial peptide, has been has been used to bacterial diseases control. In this study, potato plants (Solanum tuberosum) Asterix, were transformed with genes encoding the peptide Pg-AMP1 from Psidium guajava aiming to produce resistant plants to Pectobacterium atrosepticum and Pectobacterium carotovorum. Experiments of genetic transformation by Agrobacterium - mediated allowed 13 different events of transgenic Solanum tuberosum Pg-AMP1, representing different transformation events. In parallel to genetic transformation experiments in vitro bioassay with recombinant peptide purified Pg-AMP1 was performed. Bacterial strains P. atrosepticum and P. carotovorum were evaluated and in vivo in Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaves from transformed plants containing the peptide. In resistance assay against P. atrosepticum and P. carotovorum in tobacco plants showed less severe symptoms compared to non-transgenic. Likewise the Pg- AMP1 peptide showed bactericidal activity against bacterial strains P. atrosepticum and P. carotovorum. Thus, these results suggest the feasibility of the peptide Pg- AMP1 the use of genetic transformation of Solanum tuberosum for resistance to pathogenic bacteria that affect the crop.