| Abstract: | The osmolytes, including mannitol have been shown to be very important in abiotic stress tolerance. Thus, the present study was undertaken with the aim to enhance abiotic stress tolerance in basmati indica rice by introduction of the E. coli mannitol-1-phospho dehydrogenase (mt/D) gene, which is involved in mannitol synthesis in plants. Several putative transgenic rice plants were generated by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The presence of the transgene in the primary transformants was confirmed by PCR using hygromycin phosphotransferase (hpt) and mt/D gene specific primers. Southern hybridization also revealed the integration of the transgene. Transgenic lines exhibited mannitol accumulation, which was correlated to the increased tolerance of the transgenics against salinity and drought stress. The T1 transgenic seed germination and seedlings growth showed better performance than that of wild type during abiotic stresses under in vitro and in vivo growth conditions. |
