ANNUAL REPORT - Department of Biotechnology

c-DNA probes were developed using amplified
region of coat protein gene for detection of group
specific potyvirus. An important achievement was for
Cryo-preservation of Podophyllum hexandrum and
Aconitum heterophyllum seeds, which could
withstand dehydration up to 5% level, and showed
>90% survival even after 120 days of storage.
Selected Acorus calamus accessions containing low
beta-asarone were micro-propagated and
transferred to field for evaluation. 12 training
programmes benefiting 584 participants have been
conducted during the year on different aspects of
bioresource conservation and sustainable utilization.
A Mountain Bioresource Complex (MBC) has been
established in Kumaon and Garhwal region of
Uttarakhand as a community approach to apply the
knowledge regarding new tools of biotechnology to
untapped and exploit sustainably the under utilized
resources. A novel method of composting has been
developed which is unique for its low cost and
reliability. 250 such composting units have been
erected in village around MBC. A total of eight training
programms were organised in villages to popularize
the post harvest technology involving eighty women.
Cultivation of spices such as turmeric, ginger,
foneculum, etc. has been promoted and on a
technology developed for extracting oil from turmeric
leaves, 150 women were trained. In addition, school
children are being trained on utility and conservation
of important bioresources.
Desert Region: At Birla Institute of Scientific
Research, Jaipur the genetic and functional diversity
of rhizobacteria of clusterbean (Cyamopsis
tetragonoloba) and other arid plants is being studied.
The isolates were highly diverse in effectiveness e.g.
nodulation, nitrogen fixation, plant growth of cluster
bean, and also in salt and temperature tolerance.
Seventy-nine rhizobacterial isolates showed
biocontrol activity against Macrophomina phaseolina
and Fusarium oxysporum. Two isolates showed
maximum salt tolerance (5% NaCI) among
rhizobacterial isolates showing biocontrol activity.
Partial 16S rDNA sequencing indicated that out of 79
isolates having antifungal activity many belonged to
B. subtilis, B. cereus and B. thuringiensis and two
were Pseudomonas spp.
DBT Annual Report 2006-07
62
Resource Specific Programmes:
Different priority resources have been identified for
improvement through biotechnological interventions.
Germplasm characterization, marker development,
identification of genes, constructs, transcription
factors, genetic transformation are some of the
important activities being pursued.
Sugarcane: Under the Sugarcane genome project,
general cDNA libraries of different tissues (leaf whorl,
mature leaf, stem and root) from sugarcane variety
CoS767 were prepared in plasmid and phage
vectors. In all, 34367 clones were sequenced from 5'
end to generate EST sequence data. Good quality
sequences (25384) having PHRED score >20 and
sequence longer than 299 bp were submitted to the
GenBank. Besides the general libraries, various
subtractive libraries were also made. About 1440
sequences were generated from a subtracted library
made from red-rot challenged and normal sugarcane
stem, out of which 1069 good quality sequences
were submitted to the GenBank. Some stressrelated
and disease resistance genes, identified from
the general as well as red-rot subtracted library, were
tested for expression. A few disease-related genes
did not show expression altogether in the tolerant
variety, while some other genes were found to be upregulated
or down-regulated. Various stress-related
genes were induced to significant levels under
dehydration stress conditions. The EST sequences
showing homology to some useful genes have been
selected for further analyses and constructs are
being prepared to transform sugarcane with
potentially useful genes.
In another programme, two genomic libraries
including one enriched for six different microsatellite
motifs and one cDNA library from popular sugarcane
varieties were constructed for the identification of
microsatellites. For use in gene mapping
experiments, primer sequence information on 500
markers were provided to the two network partners.
To evaluate the efficiency of the designed STMS
markers, a subset of 50 markers were synthesized
and amplified in five sugarcane species clones, eight
varieties and three related genera for polymorphism
survey. In addition, these STMS markers were
amplified in a set of genotypes of five cereal species