Transformation of eggplant with synthetic cryIIIA gene produces a high level of resistance to the Colorado potato beetle

A population of 300 putative transgenic eggplants (Solanum melongena L.) carrying the syn cryIIIA gene was produced and tested for resistance to the Colorado potato beetle [CPB; Leptinotarsa decemlineata(Say)]. Toxicity tests in planta and in vitro demonstrated that 69% of the transformed plants were resistant to neonate larvae and adult CPB. Transgenicity of the plants was confirmed by studies of GUS expression and Southern and northern analysis. Primary transformants, having a single insert of the construct, upon selfing, produced progenies cosegregating for the uidA and syn cryIIIA genes at the expected 3:1 ratios with a few exceptions in which only one of the genes was expressed. The latter was attributed to the gene silencing phenomenon. The segregating resistant R₁ seedlings showed the same level of resistance as the parental genotypes in growth chamber tests and under field conditions. One genotype carrying two copies of the construct, upon selfing, segregated at a 15:1 ratio for GUS expression and resistance to CPB, while Southern analysis revealed a 9:3:3:1 genotypic segregation ratio for individual copies of the construct.