Assessing Mung Bean Genetic Transformation and Cloning of Sago Palm Chitinase 2 cDNA

The chitinase is the hydrolytic enzyme in the plant and animals that hydrolyse the chitin, a polysaccharide located in the fungi cell wall. The chitinase gene carries the sequence of chitinase enzymes that functions as a defence mechanism. Chitinase 2 is originated from Metroxylon sagu that can be transformed into mung a bean model system to produce transgenic plant resistant to fungal infection. The aim was to clone chitinase 2 cDNA (MsChi2) into mung beans (Vigna radiata) by the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (AMT) method. The second objective was to review the plant model system that is suitable to be used in Malaysia for genetic transformation research purposes. The XL1-Blue and EHA105 agrobacterium contained pGSA1131 plasmid carries MsChi2 was revived by subculture constantly. Then, pGSA1131 binary vector carried chitinase 2 cDNA was isolated from the host of XL1-Blue and EHA105 agrobacterium to identify the chitinase 2 cDNA by colony PCR. The AGE analysis result was negative indicating the plasmid pGSA1131 carried Chi2 failed to be detected in either XL1-Blue or EHA105. The mung bean is used as a plant model system because of its rapid life cycle, self-pollinating and tiny genetic gape compared to other legumes family plants. In this study, the mung bean, Arabidopsis thaliana, soybean and tomato model systems were compared to indicate the practical plant model to be used for plant transgenic study based on Malaysia’s climate. The mung bean and tomato were identified to be most efficient model system due to the high tolerant in heat stress corresponding with the tropical climate in Malaysia