Tawfik Eman, Hammad Ibtisam, Bakry Ashraf
Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.
Genetics Department, Faculty of Agricuture, Ain Shams University, Shoubra, Egypt.
Mol Biol Rep. 2022 Mar;49(3):1783-1790. doi: 10.1007/s11033-021-06988-5. Epub 2021 Nov 27.
Transgenic plants are becoming a more powerful tool in modern biotechnology. Genetic engineering was used in biotech-derived products to create genetically modified (GM) plants resistant to diseases. The onion (Allium cepa, L.) is a common, important perennial vegetable crop grown in Egypt for food and economic value. Onions are susceptible to a variety of fungal infections and diseases. Aspergillus niger is a common onion phytopathogen that causes diseases such as black mould (or black rot), which is a major issue, particularly when exporting onions. A. niger grows between the bulb's outer (dead, flaky) skin and the first fleshy scales, which become water-soaked. Thionin genes produce thionin proteins, which have antimicrobial properties against a variety of phytopathogens, including A. niger. Chitosan nanoparticles act as a carrier for the thionin gene, which allows A. cepa to resist infection by A. niger.
Thionin gene (Thio-60) was transformed into A. cepa to be resistance to fungal infection. The gene was loaded on chitosan nanoparticles to be transformed into plants. Transgenic A. cepa had a 27% weight inhibition compared to non-transgenic one, which had a 69% inhibition. The expressed thionin protein has a 52% inhibitory effect on A. niger spore germination. All these findings supported thionin protein's antifungal activity as an antimicrobial peptide. Furthermore, the data presented here demonstrated the efficacy of chitosan nanoparticles in gene transformation.
The present study describes the benefits of producing transgenic onion resistance to black rot diseases via expression of thionin proteins.
转基因植物正成为现代生物技术中一种更强大的工具。基因工程被用于生物技术衍生产品中，以培育抗病的转基因植物。洋葱（葱属植物，L.）是埃及种植的一种常见且重要的多年生蔬菜作物，具有食用和经济价值。洋葱易受多种真菌感染和疾病的侵害。黑曲霉是一种常见的洋葱植物病原体，会引发诸如黑霉病（或黑腐病）等疾病，这是一个主要问题，尤其是在洋葱出口时。黑曲霉生长在鳞茎的外层（枯死、片状）表皮和最初的肉质鳞片之间，这些部位会出现水浸状。硫堇基因产生硫堇蛋白，该蛋白对包括黑曲霉在内的多种植物病原体具有抗菌特性。壳聚糖纳米颗粒作为硫堇基因的载体，可使洋葱抵抗黑曲霉的感染。
将硫堇基因（Thio - 60）转化到洋葱中，使其对真菌感染具有抗性。该基因被加载到壳聚糖纳米颗粒上，以便转化到植物中。与非转基因洋葱相比，转基因洋葱的重量抑制率为27%，而非转基因洋葱的抑制率为69%。表达的硫堇蛋白对黑曲霉孢子萌发具有52%的抑制作用。所有这些发现都支持了硫堇蛋白作为抗菌肽的抗真菌活性。此外，此处呈现的数据证明了壳聚糖纳米颗粒在基因转化中的功效。
本研究描述了通过硫堇蛋白表达培育抗黑腐病转基因洋葱的益处。
