An Improved Gene Expression System to Generate Transgenic Arabidopsis Thaliana Plants Harboring a Bacillus Ginsengihumi Phytase Gene

We constructed a new vector system for heterologous gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. The construct contains a codon-optimized sequence encoding Bacillus ginsengihumi phytase behind an inducible plant-specific promoter for expression in root epithelial cells. The new vector introduced into the plant A. thaliana by Agrobacterium mediated transformation. We obtained several generations of transgenic A. thaliana plants with integrated Bacillus ginsengihumi phytase gene, as well as with an empty vector as a negative control. We tested several transgenic plants harboring the phyCg construct under the control of phosphate-starvation inducible Pht1;2 promoter and show that the phyCg gene is expressed at the mRNA level. Further characterization of these lines of plants will help us to design an improved transgenic strategy for the development of a root-specific heterologous system for the expression of bacterial phytases in plants

Expression Of \u3cem\u3ePantoea Agglomerans\u3c/em\u3e Phytase From A Strong Constitutive Promoter In \u3cem\u3eArabidopsis Thaliana\u3c/em\u3e Plants

In this study we report construction of an efficient gene expression system in plants and subsequent characterization of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana expressing a bacterial paPhyC phytase gene from Pantoea sp. Phytase gene expression is controlled by a strong 35S constitutive promoter from cauliflower mosaic virus. All identified transgenic plants had multiple T-DNA insertions in the genome. Expression of paPhyC phytase mRNA in plant tissue was confirmed by RT-PCR in the second generation of transgenic plants, and phytase protein expression was confirmed by Western blotting. Our data indicate that bacterial phytase expression in plants can be an efficient way to potentially increase crop performance in conditions of inorganic phosphorus deficiency in the soil