Genetic Engineering of Russian Wheat Genotypes for Abiotic Stress Resistance

Abstract

The purpose of our investigations was the introduction of desirable genes into Russian wheat cultivars by biolistic transformation system. The ultimate yield of 47 independent transgenic lines of Andros variety, Russian spring wheat, with the herbicide resistance gene bar was produced. In 2004 field tests for herbicide resistance (1.0% Basta) of T3 homozygous offspring obtained from seven transgenic lines demonstrated that agronomic performance of treated transgenic and non-treated control plants were similar. Na+/H+ vacuolar antiporter hvnhx2 gene from barley genome was introduced into wheat under Ubil promoter so as to produce the salt- resistant plants. The total number of 14 transgenic TO wheat plants was generated, and the RT-PCR confirmed the presence of high m-RNA concentration in extracts of 9 independent lines. Significant differences in plant growth were observed between the hvnhx2 transgenic and non-transgenic T1 progeny. The growth of the T1 transgenic plants in saline conditions was about 80% of the same in non-saline conditions, while the non-transgenic plants showed 50% delay in the growth.