Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Agriculture - Department of Genetics

Canola (Brassica napus L.) and sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) are two important oil- producing crops. They are ranked 3rd and 4th, respectively, for oil consumption globally. In Egypt cultivation of oil-producing crops is limited due to competition with other more profitable crops; therefore, expansion into newly reclaimed desert areas could provide a solution to the increasing demand on vegetable oil. Oil-crops with an enhanced ability to withstand dehydration stress could prove to be of great value in new reclaimed areas. In the present work, we cloned the M6PR gene (encoding a key enzyme, mannose-6-phosphate reductase, for mannitol biosynthesis in plants) from Egyptian celery plants. Using RACE technique, a full length (1333 bp) was isolated and was found to be 126 bp longer than the American counterpart. The gene was cloned into a plant expression vector (pRI201an), and was used to transform tobacco leave discs via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. PCR analysis of T0 plants indicated the presence of the EM6PR gene into 18 tobacco regenerated plants. RT- PCR and GC/MS analysis confirmed the expression of the EM6PR gene and mannitol production in transgenic plants, while being absent in non-transgenic controls

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