IDENTI FICATION OF EST DERIVED MARKER ASSOCIATED WITH AAI_LTSS SUPERFAMILY FOR PLANT DEFENSE RESPONSE IN SOLANUM MELONGENA

Abstract

Biotic stress in plants affected by pathogen attack involves physiological changes that affects the growth and productivity. To overcome such stresses, identification of markers for development of superior crop varieties tolerant to biotic stress is essential. Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) is an important vegetable crop species, also a good source of minerals and vitamins. EST collections of Solanum melongena are having abundant repeat motifs, most of them are hexa repeats. Mathematical algorithm based motif identifier was used to analyze around one lakh EST sequences of S.melongena and identified potential markers associated with AAI_LTSS superfamily, a protein family that includes alpha amylase inhibitors, lipid transfer proteins, seed storage proteins. These protein superfamily are known to play primary role in protecting plants from pathogen, insects, lipid transport between membranes and nutrient storage. Nine EST sequences associated with plant defense response that belongs to AAI_LTSS superfamily have been identified and aligned with MSA. The alignment showed conserved marker region with repeat motif pattern that occurs several times inside the sequence. Identification of such potential marker sequences would be useful for plant breeders in developing biotic stress tolerant crops.