Identification and Characterization of Potential Promoters to Engineer Rust Resistance in Wheat

Wheat is one of the main cereal crops grown worldwide and 70% of it is dedicated to human consumption. In recent years, due to climate change the appearance of favorable weather conditions will promote the emergence of new virulent rust pathogens. The use of modern breeding strategies, such as genetic engineering and genome editing technologies, could present a sustainable possibility to limit wheat yield losses and improve food quality. To address this challenge, we are identifying and characterizing pathogen-induced promoters that can be used to modulate plant immunity. In silico analysis of gene expression in wheat, in response to biotic stresses, led to the identification of two key genes encoding a PR-2-1c (Beta-1,3-endoglucanase) and a Zeamatin-like protein, respectively. To characterize promoters from these genes, we cloned two different length (1000 bp and 400 bp) promoter sequences for each gene from the durum wheat cultivar Kronos and fused it with the Ruby gene, a synthetic gene which converts tyrosine into betalain (a purple pigment). The engineered binary vectors were introduced into Agrobacterium AGL-1 followed by Kronos transformation. The potential transformation events are aimed to study plant immunity by subjecting the transformants against rust infection. We are expecting critical information about plant immunity which could be useful to engineer future wheat.