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KAMBAKAM SEKHAR
E mail:
kambakamsekhar@sify.com
M.Sc (Agricultural
Biotechnology) Acharya N.G.Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad. M.Sc
dissertation (Isolation of full-length cDNA sequence from rice EST
resources and construction of plant expression vectors for functional
tests) at Prof. A.R.Reddy lab, school of Life Sciences, university of
Hyderabad. B.Sc (agriculture) Acharya N.G.Ranga Agricultural University,
Tirupati.
Topic of Research:
Functional
validation of stress responsive genes in Arabidopsis.
Drought stress is the major cause of yield
instability in agricultural production across diverse crop ecosystems.
Drought st ress
induces a plethora of biochemical and physiological responses in plants
involving an array of different pathways associated with stress
perception, signal transduction, gene expression, and synthesis of a
number of proteins and other small molecular weight compounds. Given this
complexity of the drought response, EST (Expressed Sequence Tag) approach
would assist in gene discovery and genetic engineering of plants for
drought tolerance.
We isolated drought stress responsive genes
from ESTs collection of drought stress pigeonpea. Functional validation of
such drought stress responsive genes in vivo can be tested by
developing transgenics in Arabidopsis. The present investigation is
aimed at functional characterization of stress responsive genes with the
following specific objectives:
Ø
Construction of plant expression vectors containing drought
stress responsive genes.
Ø
Introduction of drought responsive genes into Arabidopsis
through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation
Ø
Molecular characterization of transgenic plants
Ø
Functional analysis of those genes against drought stress.
P.
SUBRAMANIAN E.mail : paul_sub_2000@yahoo.com
Post M.Sc,
certificate course in Plant Genetic engineering from Madurai Kamaraj
University, 2001. M.Sc., Biochemistry from Sourashtra college
affiliated to Madurai Kamaraj University, 1998-2000. B.Sc., Biochemistry
from Sourashtra college affiliated to Madurai Kamaraj University,
1995-1998. Worked as a Junior Research
Scientist for a collective period of 7 months in Avestha Gengraine
Technologies Pvt. Ltd., and Metahelix Lifesciences Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore,
2002.
Topic of Research:
Development of transgenic
cotton resistant to sap – sucking pests.
Introduction:
Cotton is an important commercial crop and is grown in more than eighty
countries. The cotton cultivation is getting affected every year by major
insect pests such as lepidopteran insects especially Helicoverpa
armigera, and homopteran (sap-sucking) pest such as white fly (Bemisia
tabaci). The white fly not only causes physical damage
to the plant but also act as vector for cotton leaf curl virus (CLCV).
Although, chemical pesticides have been used extensively to control these
pests during cotton cultivation but met with little success. After the
success of Bt cotton in controlling the major bollworms, the immediate
need is to find out a suitable solution using biotechnological tools to
control the sap sucking pest problem without further damaging the balance
between prey and predators agro ecosystem of cotton cultivation zones of
the country. Therefore the development of genetically modified cotton
plant with resistance to these pests using desirable genes will add value
to the integrated management of these pests.
OBJECTIVES:
1.
Standardization of transformation protocol for Cotton variety Coker
312 by using pTOK 233 plasmid, which has gus A reporter gene.
2.
Introduction of lectin genes into cotton variety Coker 312.
3.
Molecular characterization of transgenic cotton.
4.
Insect bioassays with T1 transgenic plants of Cotton.
5.
Selection and maintenance of T2 homozygous transgenic lines.
VIJAYA KUMAR SADUMPATI ( CSIR-JRF):
M.Sc.- Genetics from Osmania University, 2001-03, B.Sc. – (B.Z.C) from S.V
University, 1997-2000, District merit scholar ship from VII to X, National
Merit Scholar ship during Intermediate, Best out going student award after
degree from S.V.Arts Degree College, M.Sc 1st Rank from Osmania
University Genetics Department.
E-mail
:
vijaycpmb@yahoo.com
Topic of
Research:
Development of transgenic rice for Sheath
blight resistance
Introduction:
Rice (Oryza sativa L) is one of the most important
cereal crops, which serves as staple food for more than two thirds of the
world’s population. Rice productivity is adversely affected by both
biotic and abiotic stress factors. It was estimated that annually, more
than 200 million tons of rice is lost due to damages caused by pests and
edaphic stress factors. The worldwide losses due to pests and diseases
have been estimated as 37% of the agricultural production, out of which
20-25% is due to fungal diseases.
The
insertion of specific chitinase gene into crops is showing value in
integrated fungicidal management programs for controlling different fungal
organisms. Chitinase elicit a variety of responses that can defend plants
from a range of factors including environmental stress, infections by
bacteria, and fungi. Many agricultural plants lack chitinase defenses,
making them susceptible to yield losses from fungal infestations.
Objectives:
-
Establishment of genetic transformation system in popular indica
rice varieties.
-
Construction of Ti- plasmid vector carrying the rice chitinase
gene for Agrobacterium mediated transformation of rice.
-
Characterization of primary transformants by molecular analyses
-
Fungal bioassays with T1 generation transgenic rice plants
expressing rice chitinase gene.
-
Evaluation of transgenic indica rice variety containing snowdrop
lectin gene (gna) against sheath blight.
-
Pyramiding of snowdrop lectin gene (gna) and chitinase
gene for durable resistance to sheath blight.
Work
carried out:
The E.coli plasmid pAHGII
containing the expression unit of chitinase gene was isolated and cloned
at Hind III site of PSB II intermediate vector of Agrobacterium.
After conformation the recombinant clone containing chitinase gene was
transferred into Agrobactirum strain LBA 4404 by triparental
mating. Popular rice varieties like BPT 5204, MTU-1071 and Swarna were
selected for production of transgenics with the chitinase gene.
Priyanka Bhyri
M.Sc Genetics (Osmania University, Hyderabad)
Research Topic:
Isolation of
stress inducible genes from Pigeon pea.
Email :
priyasravan@rediffmail.com
Abstract of the work:
Pigeonpea (Cajanus
cajan L.) Mill sp. is a major grain legume of the semi-arid tropics of
India and other developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Abiotic stresses, such as drought salinity and low temperature are major
factors in limiting plant growth and productivity. It has been estimated
that two thirds of the yield potential of major crops are routinely lost
due to these stresses. In general pigeonpea is tolerant to drought and
high temperature than most of the crops. No attempts were made to
understand the drought tolerant mechanism of pigeonpea and its ability to
tolerate drought conditions. The isolation and characterization of drought
stress inducible genes from pigeonpea is highly desirable in order to
overcome abiotic stress factors, especially for achieving sustainable
yields from drought sensitive crops.
OBJECTIVES:
·
Construction of subtractive cDNA libraries from stressed and control
tissues.
·
Screening
of library for putative stress inducible genes
·
Molecular
analysis and characterization of stress induced genes
·
Functional analysis of isolated stress tolerant genes.
WORK
CARRIED OUT
In order to isolate
stress inducible genes, pigeonpea plants grown under control conditions
were subjected to different levels of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and water
stress. Total RNA was isolated from control and stressed plants and
cDNA-subtracted libraries were constructed using PCR select cDNA
subtraction and cDNA subtractive hybridization methods. More than hundred
recombinant clones were obtained. Among these, more than fifty clones were
subjected to DNA sequencing. One cDNA clone, obtained by subtractive
hybridization, contained an ORF of 540 bp. The deduced amino acid sequence
of the protein showed partial homology with the known protein encoding
genes involved in stress tolerance.
Five
different PCR select cDNA subtraction libraries were constructed from the
plants subjected to drought stress. The different recombinant clones
obtained showed homology with stress induced ESTs of Glycine max,
cDNAs of Medicago trancatulata, 14 kDa proline rich protein
of Phaseolous vulgaris, dihydrofolate reductase, chlorophyll a/b
binding protein, arabinogalactan protein, high mobility group proteins,
protease inhibitors, peptide transporters, leucine aminopeptidases,
fructokinases, and acetyl glutamate kinase. However, some of the cDNA
clones are unique and did not show any homology with the known protein
encoding genes. The Northern blot analysis confirmed the stress inducible
nature of these genes. Southern blot analysis indicated the presence of
these DNA sequences in the genome of pigeonpea. For the first time, we
have deposited 22
cDNA clones of
pigeonpea in the genbank with the accession numbers, CK394831 to CK394851.
RAGHU PEDAVALLI
(B.Sc
(Microbiology)- 1999-Nalanda Degree College - Nalgonda. M.Sc
(Genetics)- 2002-Osmania University – Hyderabad,
Post
Graduate Diploma in Computer Applications (P.G.D.C.A)
Topic of Research:
Transgene pyramiding for multiple insect
resistance and their localization of integration in rice genome.
E-mail
:
raghugenes@yahoo.com
Objectives:
-
Identification and localization of transgene using FISH and SSR markers
in transformants.
-
Development of transgenic hybrid rice resistant to lepidopteran pests.
-
Pyramiding of different insect resistant genes for multiple resistance.
I
have identified the localization of integrated transgenes in two independent
transgenic rice lines with the help of molecular markers, especially using
SSRs. The position of integrated transgene in these two transformants was on
Chromosomes 1p and 3q, respectively.
I
was also involved in a couple of projects entitled
1.
“Parentage analysis of Annona squamosa using RAPD”.
2.
“A tool for construction of protein Hydropathic curve.”
Bharathi Yerasi
CSIR-JRF
(Bsc(Ag)-
2000-ANGRAU-Tirupati,
Msc(Ag)-
2002-ANGRAU-Tirupati)
Topic of Research:
Genetic transformation and gene pyramiding
for multiple resistance against major insect pests of rice.
E-mail :
Bharathiy2002@yahoo.co.in
Objectives:
-
Isolation
and characterization of garlic lectin gene
-
Construction
of Ti based plant expression vector of Agrobacterium
tumefaciens
-
Production
of transgenic rice plants
-
Pyramiding
of garlic lectin and snowdrop lectin genes for broad based resistance.
Garlic lectin gene was isolated from garlic
leaves and cloned in pET 21 vector of
E. coli. After confirming the
expression of garlic lectin in E.coli the same was
cloned into pSB11 intermediate vector of Agrobacterium tumefaciens
. Later, the recombinant clone was transferred into Agrobacterium
strain LBA-4404 by triparental mating. Popular rice varieties like Swarna
and BPT 5204 were selected for production of transgenics with the garlic
lectin gene.
Anumula Kavitha CSIR/JRF
(
M.Sc Botany Gold medalist, Osmania
University., PGDCA, SISI-CMTES).
Research Topic:
Isolation of stress
inducible promoters from pigeonpea.
Email
:
akavi_99@yahoo.com.
Plant growth is greatly affected by environmental stress, in the form
of abiotic and biotic stresses, such as drought, temperature, salinity,
mineral nutrients, insects, bacterial and viral infections. Stress is
usually defined as an external factor that exerts a disadvantageous
influence on the plant. In general, plants respond to environmental
stresses through a wide variety of biochemical and physiological adaptive
changes, such as the accumulation of compatible solutes and synthesis of
many regulatory proteins.
In recent years,
different classes of genes encoding structural and regulatory proteins
have been employed for the production of a range of abiotic
stress-tolerant transgenic plants. However, only a few promoters are
available for driving these stress tolerant genes. In order to isolate
stress inducible promoters, we have selected the pigeonpea, which is known
stress tolerant crop.
Objectives
·
Isolation
of genomic DNA from pigeonpea plants.
·
Construction of genomic DNA library.
·
Screening
of the library for the stress inducible genes.
·
Functional analysis of identified promoters.
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