Expression of Chitinase and shRNA Gene Exhibits Resistance to Fungi and Virus

Abstract

With the increasing global population, saving crops from diseases caused by different kinds of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and nematodes is essential. Potato is affected by various diseases, destroying many crops in the field and storage. In this study, we developed potato lines resistant to fungi and viruses, Potato Virus X (PVX) and Potato Virus Y (PVY), by inoculating chitinase for fungi and shRNA designed against the mRNA of the coat protein of PVX and PVY, respectively. The construct was developed using the pCAMBIA2301 vector and transformed into AGB-R (red skin) potato cultivar using Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The crude protein extract of the transgenic potato plant inhibited the growth of Fusarium oxysporum from ~13 to 63%. The detached leaf assay of the transgenic line (SP-21) showed decreased necrotic spots compared to the non-transgenic control when challenged with Fusarium oxysporum. The transgenic line, SP-21, showed maximum knockdown when challenged with PVX and PVY, i.e., 89 and 86%, while transgenic line SP-148 showed 68 and 70% knockdown in the PVX- and PVY-challenged conditions, respectively. It is concluded from this study that the developed transgenic potato cultivar AGB-R showed resistance against fungi and viruses (PVX and PVY).