An efficient in-vitro Agrobacterium -mediated transformation protocol for raising salinity tolerant transgenic plants in finger millet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.]

Not AvailableAn efficient reproducible protocol has been established for raising salinity tolerant fingermillet through in vitro Agrobacterium mediated transformation. To enhance the salinity tolerance in fingermillet a double gene construct of PgNHX1 (from Pennisetum glaucum) and AVP1 (from Arabidopsis thaliana) was developed using the plant binary expression vector pCAMBIA 1301. This was then mobilized into electro competent grobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA105 and used for transforming fingermillet var. GPU28. GUS histochemical assay was monitored for confirmation of callus transformation. The putative transformants were acclimatized in incubation chamber for two weeks and then transplanted in greenhouse for further acclimatization. Putative transgenics were confirmed by physiological analysis and PCR amplification of genomic DNA using primers. The putative transgenic plants showed higher salt tolerance of 300mM compared to treated wild type plants. This is the first study in fingermillet reporting the expression of double gene construct of PgNHX1 and AVP1 for salinity tolerance.DST (Department of Science and Technology), New Delhi, India