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(Patkar and Chattoo. 2006). Transgenic geranium carrying the same gene exhibited
enhanced resistance against B.
rinerea
(Bi
er a / . .
1999).
Wheat lipid transfer protein encoded by
Llp
3FI gene exhibited
n
brond-
spectrum antifungal activity against phytopathogenic fungi such ns
Alrernarin
sp.
(grain discoloration of rice). R.
solani
(sheath blight of rice).
C. lunafo
(leaf spot of
clover). B.
oryzae
(brown spot of rice),
Cy. scoparium
(root necrosis of banana) and
S.
oryzae
(sheath rot of rice). This is the first report to demonstrate that LTP from wheat
has antifungal activity against major phytopathogenic fungi that attack rice, clover
and banana.
In comparison to the use of several selectable markers such as
bar,
CP4
and
GOX
that concerns the outcrossing through sexual transmission to wild relatives
producing herbicide-resistant weeds (Vasil, 1994; Arriola and Ellstrand, 1996).
cah
gene is considered as a unique marker because of its ability to convert calcium
cyanamide into urea (Maier-Greiner
et a l . ,
1991a; Sahrawat
el u l . ,
2003). Earlier
studies also supported the use of calcium cyanamide fertilizer to control soil borne
diseases (Mattusch, 1984; Humpherson-Jones
er a l . ,
1992; Bourbos
et al.,
1997).
Calcium cyanamide has been used as antifungal agent against
Fusarium
wilt in pea
(Lo and Lin, 1989). cucumber (Bourbos
et ol.,
1997). Chinese cabbage (Fukava and
Kato, 1997). melon (Bletsos, 2005) and eggplant (Bletsos. 2006). Therefore. the
transgenic expression of
cah
gene may be useful for selection of transformants as
marker and also be useful for plant growth promotion due to its ability to convert the
calcium cyanamide and the antifungal activity of hydrogen cyanamide.
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