Increased tolerance in tomato and potato plants by expresión of a cyanobacterial protein

MAYTA, MARTÍN L.; HAJIREZAEI, MOHAMMAD R.; CARRILLO, NÉSTOR; PIERELLA-KARLUSICH, JUAN. J.; VALLES, ESTELA; ARCE, ROCÍO C.; ZURBRIGGEN, MATÍAS; ZANOR, MARIA I.

Córdoba

Congreso; XXXII Reunión de la Asociación Sociedad Argentina de Fisiología Vegetal (SAFV); 2018

Sociedad Argentina de Fisiología Vegetal (SAFV)

Humanity is already facing several problems such asthe increase of population along with the limitation ofarable land, environmental stress and climate change.This high demand requires a major increase in the yieldof crops such as tomatoes and potatoes. We generated transgenic tomato and potato plants that express a cyanobacterial protein, flavodoxin (Fld), which has beenshown to confer increased tolerance in tobacco againstmultiple stresses and to display lower foliar mass. Tomato plants showed a similar phenotype with smaller plants and higher fruit yield. Accordingly, they displayeda significantly higher harvest index and increasedtolerance against oxidative stress. To gain furtherknowledge on the mechanism of tolerance conferred byFld, a transcriptomic analysis of transgenic plants subjectedto drought was made in potatoes. The results showed a partial or complete protection of primary metabolismsaffected by drought, including the photosyntheticelectron transport chain and the Calvin Cycle,indicating that the Fld-based technology offers greatpossibilities to improve crop yield under both normaland stressful growth conditions.