Show simple item record

dc.contributor.authorRuno, Steven
dc.contributor.authorMacharia, Sarah
dc.contributor.authorAlakonya, Amos E.
dc.contributor.authorMachuka, Jesse
dc.contributor.authorSinha, Neelima
dc.contributor.authorScholes, Julie
dc.date.accessioned2013-09-19T07:47:41Z
dc.date.available2013-09-19T07:47:41Z
dc.date.issued2012
dc.identifier.citationPlant Methods 2012, 8:20en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/7318
dc.description10.1186/1746-4811-8-20en_US
dc.description.abstractBackground Striga species are noxious root hemi-parasitic weeds that debilitate cereal production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Control options for Striga are limited and developing Striga resistant crop germplasm is regarded as the best and most sustainable control measure. Efforts to improve germplasm for Striga resistance by a non-Genetic Modification (GM) approach, for example by exploiting natural resistance, or by a GM approach are constrained by limited information on the biological processes underpinning host-parasite associations. Additionaly, a GM approach is stymied by lack of availability of candidate resistance genes for introduction into hosts and robust transformation methods to validate gene functions. Indeed, a majority of Striga hosts, the world’s most cultivated cereals, are recalcitrant to genetic transformation. In maize, the existing protocols for transformation and regeneration are tedious, lengthy, and highly genotype-specific with low efficiency of transformation. Results We used Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain K599 carrying a reporter gene construct, Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), to generate transgenic composite maize plants that were challenged with the parasitic plant Striga hermonthica. Eighty five percent of maize plants produced transgenic hairy roots expressing GFP. Consistent with most hairy roots produced in other species, transformed maize roots exhibited a hairy root phenotype, the hallmark of A. rhizogenes mediated transformation. Transgenic hairy roots resulting from A. rhizogenes transformation were readily infected by S. hermonthica. There were no significant differences in the number and size of S. hermonthica individuals recovered from either transgenic or wild type roots. Conclusions This rapid, high throughput, transformation technique will advance our understanding of gene function in parasitic plant-host interactions. Keywords: Maize; Striga hermonthica; Agrobacterium rhizogenes; Hairy roots; Composite plantsen_US
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherPlant Methodsen_US
dc.subjectStriga hermonthicaen_US
dc.subjectAgrobacterium rhizogenesen_US
dc.subjectHairy rootsen_US
dc.subjectComposite plantsen_US
dc.titleStriga parasitizes transgenic hairy roots of Zea mays and provides a tool for studying plant-plant Interactions.en_US
dc.typeArticleen_US


Files in this item

Thumbnail

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record