NATH, A KNATH, A KANSHUL SHARMA MANJULANSHUL SHARMA MANJUL2021-07-072021-07-072021-062021-06https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810170174ABSTRACT Potato and tomato are important global crops; however, biotic and abiotic stresses have greatly limited their production and quality. Abiotic stresses are further expected to have even more production and quality. Abiotic stresses in the face of changing global climate. Plant HSFs are the terminal components of a signal transduction chain that helps in the expression of various abiotic stresses genes. Fifteen HSF genes from potato and 27 HSF genes from tomato were identified from PLAZA 4.0 Dicots. HSF genes from both tomato and potato showed differential locations on the 12 chromosomes. Molecular weight of all the HSFs were found to range between 12.20 to 94.24 kDa. All the HSF proteins were found to be hydrophilic in nature. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of HSF genes in both tomato and potato revealed 10 major groups with several orthologous and paralogous genes. Five HSF genes were cloned, their sequences were submitted to NCBI database. Semi-quantitative expression analysis indicated them to play prominent role in imparting resistance against heat and drought stress. The vector pCAMBIA3301+TRV2 was used in the present studies for the preparation of VIGS construct. Two genes viz., HP1 and HP2 were inserted into the VIGS construct. The developed agro constructs, pTRV2:HP1 and pTRV2:HP2 mobilized into Agrobacterium, were used for the VIGS experiment along with pTRV1 mobilized in Agrobacterium in potato cultivar K. Surya. It could be concluded from the results of the VIGS experiments that the downregulation of HP1 and HP2 genes resulted in the stunted growth of the potato plants as well as no or very less tuber formation. The results indicated both the genes HP1 and HP2 to play an important role in conferring heat and drought resistance to potato plants.ABSTRACT Potato and tomato are important global crops; however, biotic and abiotic stresses have greatly limited their production and quality. Abiotic stresses are further expected to have even more production and quality. Abiotic stresses in the face of changing global climate. Plant HSFs are the terminal components of a signal transduction chain that helps in the expression of various abiotic stresses genes. Fifteen HSF genes from potato and 27 HSF genes from tomato were identified from PLAZA 4.0 Dicots. HSF genes from both tomato and potato showed differential locations on the 12 chromosomes. Molecular weight of all the HSFs were found to range between 12.20 to 94.24 kDa. All the HSF proteins were found to be hydrophilic in nature. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of HSF genes in both tomato and potato revealed 10 major groups with several orthologous and paralogous genes. Five HSF genes were cloned, their sequences were submitted to NCBI database. Semi-quantitative expression analysis indicated them to play prominent role in imparting resistance against heat and drought stress. The vector pCAMBIA3301+TRV2 was used in the present studies for the preparation of VIGS construct. Two genes viz., HP1 and HP2 were inserted into the VIGS construct. The developed agro constructs, pTRV2:HP1 and pTRV2:HP2 mobilized into Agrobacterium, were used for the VIGS experiment along with pTRV1 mobilized in Agrobacterium in potato cultivar K. Surya. It could be concluded from the results of the VIGS experiments that the downregulation of HP1 and HP2 genes resulted in the stunted growth of the potato plants as well as no or very less tuber formation. The results indicated both the genes HP1 and HP2 to play an important role in conferring heat and drought resistance to potato plants.EnglishThesis