Award details

Genetic transformation of rice, potato and cooking bananas for nematode resistance

Reference	BBS/E/J/0000A023
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Philippe Vain
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor John Snape
Institution	John Innes Centre
Department	John Innes Centre Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	174,465
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/07/2001
End date	31/01/2006
Duration	55 months

Abstract

Nematode resistance for developing countries applications: This is a joint research programme between the John Innes Centre and the University of Leeds aiming at developing transgenic strategies for nematode resistance in rice, potato and banana for the benefit of developing countries. Root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) account for the majority of the $100 billion (US) of annual loss attributed to nematode damage in crops. In the tropics, average crop production is reduced by 11-25% as a result of damage by nematodes. Crop resistance is a low-cost option for nematode control in subsistence agriculture. It does not impose unwanted changes on traditional agronomic practices. The range of single traits available for breeding programmes currently limits the number of nematode-resistant crops available. In addition, pathotypes, or species that overcome resistance, often challenge the utility of resistance. This joint research programme has been funded by the Department for International development ¿ Plant Science Research Programme (DFID ¿ PSP) and the Rockefeller Foundation. Our strategy to improve plant defences to plant parasitic nematodes has centred on the use of plant proteinase inhibitors. Cysteine proteinases (cystatins) were selected as the target of our defence as they represent the predominant proteinase activity in plant parasitic nematodes and are not involved in mammalian digestion. Furthermore, plant cystatins are not toxic and are already present in the human diet e.g. in rice grain and sunflower seed. The expression of plant cystatin transgenes in rice, banana and potato root systems have led to significant levels of resistance against a range of nematodes. The project capitalises on previously developed high throughput, genotype-independent and ¿clean gene¿ technologies to produce and disseminate rice plants free of selectable marker genes with good resistance to nematodes to developing countries in Africa and Asia.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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