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Expression of rol genes in transgenic soybean (Glycine max L.) leads to changes in plant phenotype, leaf morphology, and flowering time

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Abstract

Soybean (Glycine max L.) cultivar NARC-4 was transformed with constructs carrying rolA, rolB, or rolC genes, each under the control of the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 70S promoter. Cotyledonary nodes of soybean seeds were infected with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 carrying one of the three rol genes, along with nptII in the plasmid pLBR. The efficiency of the transformation varied slightly among the three constructs, with frequencies of 6, 7, and 5% for the rolA, rolB, and rolC genes, respectively, being observed. Southern blot analysis confirmed the integration of rol genes in the soybean genome with varying numbers of copies of the transgene. All transformed plants showed enhanced rooting, but the number of adventitious roots was higher for transformants carrying the rolB transgene. rolA and rolC transformants showed dwarf phenotypes, clustered branching, and variations in leaf morphology. Furthermore, these plants flowered within a short period of time and produced lower numbers of flowers. rolB transformants showed variations in phenotype, including dwarf to semi-dwarf and shrubby growth, abnormal stem growth, short internodes, variations in leaf morphology, and greenish to yellowish-green colored leaves. These plants also flowered early, but dwarf plants produced low numbers of flowers, while shrubby plants produced high numbers of flowers, but these were mostly infertile.

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Abbreviations

BA:

6-benzyladenine

CaMV:

Cauliflower mosaic virus

DTT:

Dithiothreitol

GA3:

Gibberellic acid

IBA:

Indol 3-butyric acid

MES:

Morpholino ethanesulfonic acid

MYA:

Mannitol yeast agar

NOS:

Nopaline synthase

nptII :

Neomycin phosphotransferase

ORF:

Open reading frames

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

Ri:

Root inducing

SE:

Shoot elongation

SI:

Shoot induction

T-DNA:

Transfer DNA

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Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Dr. David Tepfer, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Versailles, 78026, France, for providing the Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harboring pLBR containing rol genes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan

    Muhammad Zia

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan

    Bushra Mirza & Salman Akbar Malik

  3. Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan

    Muhammad Fayyaz Chaudhary

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  1. Muhammad Zia
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  2. Bushra Mirza
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  3. Salman Akbar Malik
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Correspondence to Muhammad Zia.

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Zia, M., Mirza, B., Malik, S.A. et al. Expression of rol genes in transgenic soybean (Glycine max L.) leads to changes in plant phenotype, leaf morphology, and flowering time. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 103, 227–236 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-010-9771-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-010-9771-z

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