Transgenic Lettuce (lactuca Sativa L.) Harboring Chitinase Gene Expressed Resistance Against a Devastating Fungus, Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is the world’s most popular leafy salad vegetable cultivated throughout the temperate region of the globe. However, its quality and yield are severely constrained by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, a destructive fungal pathogen. In this study, rice chitinase (chi) gene was transferred to lettuce cv. Solan Kriti via Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer technique to obtain resistance against S. sclerotiorum. To enhance the transformation rate, critical determinant variables including explant type, pre-culturing and co-cultivation time and acetosyringone effect were optimized. A combination of 72 h pre-culturing followed by 72 h co-cultivation period resulted in the highest transformation frequency of 8.60