Use of a visible reporter marker- myb-related gene in crop plants to minimize herbicide usage against weeds

摘要

Weeds, a main threat to agricultural productivity worldwide, are mostly controlled by herbicides. To minimize herbicide usage by targeting only weedy areas, we developed a new methodology for robust weed detection that relies on manipulating the crop plant’s leaf hue, without affecting crop fitness. We generated transgenic tobacco ( Xanthi) lines overexpressing the anthocyanin pigment as a traceable marker that differentiates transgenes from the surrounding weeds at an early stage. Transformation with the anthocyanin gene produced purple-colored leaves. Subsequent gene silencing with vector p significantly reduced anthocyanin pigments in tobacco leaves 40 days after agroinfiltration, with a concomitant reduction in transcript levels. Purple hue faded gradually, and there were no fitness costs in terms of plant height or leaf number in the silenced vs. non-silenced tobacco transgenes. These results could lead to a new sustainable weed-control method that will alleviate weed-related ecological, agricultural and economic issues.