Obtaining of transgenic alfalfa for improved phytoremediation the petroleum contaminated soils

Abstract

Background. The possibility of using transgenic plants and their complexes with microorganisms to clean up soil from oil pollution is a topical area of researches. In our work the transgenic alfalfa plants with a gene rhlA, responsible for the biosynthesis of biosurfactant - ramnolipid, were obtained. Rhamnolipids help to reduce the surface tension of the hydrocarbon oil and its desorbtion from soil particles, thereby facilitating its recycling by microorganism. Material and methods. The protocol for agrobacterium-mediated transformation was optimized, transgenic alfalfa plants with a gene rhlA were obtained and their status was confirmed by molecular analysis. Results. Cultivation of the control and the transgenic alfalfa plants in soil polluted with 4 % oil showed the advantage of plants emitting ramnolipids: recycle oil was 71 % for 56 days and it was 20 % higher compared with the control plants. When used together, the transgenic plants and microorganism Candida maltosa increased the degree of degradation of the oil to 86 %. Conclusion. The results suggest promising application of transgenic plants and the complex “transgenic plants - microorganisms” to increase the efficiency of bioremediation.

Keywords

Medicago sativa / Medicago sativa / phytoremediation / rhizodegradation / rhamnolipids / transgenic plants

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Stepanova A.Y., Orlova E.V., Tereshonok D.V., Dolgikh Y.I.