Transgenic canola plants harboring beta 1,3 glucanase (bgnI) gene from Trichoderma virens inhibit mycelial growth of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

Canola (Brassica napus L.) an agro-economically important crop in the world، is sensitive to many fungal pathogens including Sclerotinia sclerotiorum، the causal agent of stem rot disease. Glucanase is cell wall degrading enzyme which have been shown to have high antifungal activity against a wide range of phytopathogenic fungi. In the present study bgnI gene from Trichoderma virens was overexpressed under the control of the CaMV 35S constitutive promoter in Brassica napus، R line Hyola 308. Transformation of cotyledonary petioles was achieved via Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404. After infection with Agrobacterium، the explants were transferred to selected regeneration medium. The transformed explants were screened in kanamycin containing media. The explants were excised and rooted using appropriate growth regulator. Putative transgenic lines obtained from independent transformation events transferred to the greenhouse for hardening. The presence of bgnI in putative transgenic lines confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers and PCR-based RFLP. Also، antifungal activity was detected in crude protein extracts from transgenic canola plants when compared to non-transgenic canola using radial diffusion assay.