For green matter production, Tobacco is well suited as a factory for recombinant protein production because it is easy to alter genetically and produces great deal of biomass. It is a non food, non feed crop and has no chances of entering the food chain. GCSF has been expressed in various foreign hosts such as E.coli, yeast and mammalian cells. In this study binary vector (PMDC 83) harboring human GCSF under 35S promoter was used to transform tobacco leaf explants by Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation. The transformants are being analysed for GCSF production.

Piper colubrinum, an exotic wild pepper species, resistant to Phytophthora capsici is identified as a valuable source of defense-related genes. A subtracted cDNA library enriched for elicitor-induced genes was generated in Piper colubrinum and sequenced. Around 40 clones were identified, some of which showed homology to osmotin (PR 5), metallothionein, zinc finger protein, ferritin etc. The full-length osmotin homologue was cloned and work is in progress to characterize other candidate genes from the subtracted library. Future work will be aimed at screening the library for identifying genes induced by pathogen infection, which will be valuable for genetic improvement of cultivated black pepper and provide information about the resistance mechanism active in the resistant species.

Piper colubrinum, the wild relative of black pepper is highly resistant to many of the fungal and bacterial diseases associated with black peeper cultivation. The potential resistant nature of the plant is explored at the transcript level. The candidate genes found over expressed against the pathogen –Phytophthora capsici is closely examined by recombinant techniques, in vitro assays as well as in planta studies. The work involves the development of an in vitro system where the plant pathogen interaction can be studied at the transcript and functional level either by over expressing or silencing the differentially expressed genes cloned from the resistant source. This work will shed light on the molecular mechanism of disease resistance in the plant and could possibly lead to identification of more potent genes that can be used for the molecular breeding of the native Black pepper-Piper nigrum and other crop species.