Kaplan, Noah

Advancements in biotechnology have allowed us to
study genetics and plant physiology by engineering
transgenic plants. For our research we transformed
Micro-Tom, a tomato variety developed for use in
genetic research, using Agrobacterium mediated
transformation. Within a time span of fourteen weeks,
we inserted two distinct plasmid constructs (pCAMBIA2301
and E1492). Plants have the unique ability to
regenerate their tissue and we took advantage of this
ability to regenerate the transgenic plants with antibiotic
selection. Approximately one third of the explants
endured the infection process and fourteen of these
survived in the presence of kanamycin. By the end of
the fourteenth week, eleven out of our fourteen plantlets
had fully developed roots but only four survived
to maturity. After verification with PCR and qPCR, we
found that we generated two transgenic plants. Here
we describe all the methods and techniques used to
achieve these compelling results.could be the potential
cause of this neurodegenerative disease, will help
elucidate the role of this amino acid in ALS.

Understanding the genetic regulation of the response to wounding and wound
healing in fruiting plants is imperative to maintaining agricultural sustainability,
preserving the quality of food supplies, and ensuring the economic viability of
agriculture. Many genes are known to be induced by wounding, providing both structural
repair and defense. The KED gene in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) has been shown to be
induced by wounding. We have identified its homologue gene in tomato (Solanum
lycopersicum) that we named SlKED. We have analyzed gene expression pattern of
SlKED through tomato growth and development and in response to wounding as well as
hormonal and inhibitor treatments. We found that the plant hormone ethylene played a
major role in the expression of SlKED. To further identify evidence for physiological and
transductional functions of KED and SlKED, the tobacco KED gene was introduced to
tomato and overexpressed by the fruit tissue-active PUN1 promoter from pepper
(Capsicum annuum,). The expression of this gene was compared to the expression of the native SlKED gene and other known wound response genes in both the wild-type and
transgenic tomato plants. The upregulation of the native SlKED gene by wounding was
significantly muted in the tobacco KED-expressing transgenic plants. The expression of
other genes known to be associated with wound response transduction pathways was also
altered. Our studies implicate the KED gene in defense mechanisms for mechanical stress
in tomato plants.