SHANKAR, A GBASAVARAJESHWARI R., MATHAPATI2017-06-302017-06-302009-07-10th-9357http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810023790Zinc deficiency causes reduction in plant productivity. Zinc is not only essential for plants but also for humans is a micronutrient of exceptional biologic and public health importance. Zinc deficiency in soil also leads to deficiency in human beings through plants. Zinc deficiency in humans can be addressed through dietary diversification, mineral supplementation, food fortification and biofortification (increasing mineral concentrations in edible parts of the crop). For a long and sustainable approach biofortification is considered to be the best. In this regard attempt was made to biofortify tomato with zinc. Tomato is consumed by everyone and also everyday. As tomato can also be consumed raw, nutrient loss due to cooking can be minimised hence tomato was found to be an ideal plant for biofortification. In this study expression analysis of zinc transporters in leaves of tomato plants treated at different levels of zinc showed LeZIP1, LeZIP3, LeZIP5 and LeZIP6 as low zinc responsive zinc transporter genes and LeZIP2 as a high zinc responsive one. Estimation of zinc content in leaves and roots of these zinc treated plants showed significant increase in zinc content of zinc deprived plants upon providing moderate zinc. Zinc content in leaves and roots increased with the increase in the external zinc application. Thus different zinc contents in plant parts could be attributed to differential expression of zinc transporter genes. From the expression analysis of zinc transporter genes, LeZIP1 a low zinc responsive gene, was found to be closely related to OsZIP1. OsZIP1 known to be a high affinity zinc transporter was subcloned in gateway destination vector and overexpressed in tomato to increase the zinc nutrition through transgenic approach.ennullThesis