Most recent publications:
1. Pradhan, A.K., Mukhopadhyay, A., Arumugam, N., Sodhi, Y.S. and Pental, D. A high desity linkage map in Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) using AFLP and RFLP markers. Theoritical and Applied Genetics (In Press).
2. Sodhi, Y. S., Mukhopadhyay, A., Arumugam, N., Verma, J. K., Gupta, V., Pental, D., Pradhan A. K. Genetic analysis of total glucosinolate in crosses involving a high glucosinolate Indian variety and a low glucosinolate line of Brassica juncea. Plant Breeding (In Press).
3. Arumugam, N., Mukhopadhyay, A., Gupta, V., Sodhi, Y.S., Verma, J.K., Pental, D., Pradhan, A.K. (2002). Synthesis of somatic hybrids (RCBB) by fusing protoplasts of heat tolerant Rapharus sativa (RR) and Brassica oleracea (CC) with B. nigra (BB). Plant Breeding (In press).
4. Jaganath, A., Arumugam, N., Gupta, V., Pradhan, A. K., Burma, P.K., Pental, D. (2002). Development of transgenic barstar lines and identification of a male sterile (barnase) / restorer (barstar) combination for heterosis breeding in Indian oilseed mustard (Brassica juncea). Curr. Sci. 82: 46-52.
5. Jagannath, A., Bandyopadhyay, P., Arumugam, N., Gupta, V., Burma, P.K. and Pental, D. (2002). The use of an insulator DNA fragment to protect tissue-specific expression of cytotoxic gene (barnase) allows high frequency generation of transgenic male sterile lines in Brassica juncea L. Molecular Breeding 8: 11-23.
6. Phogat, S., Gupta, R., Burma, P. K., Sen, K., Pental, D. (2001). On the estimation of number of events required for saturation mutagenesis of large genomes. Curr. Sci. 80: 823-824.
7. Srivastava, A., Gupta, V., Pental, D., Pradhan, A.K. (2001). AFLP based genetic diversity assessment amongst agronomically important natural and some newly synthesised lines of Brassica juncea. Theor. Appl. Genet. 102: 193-199.
The long-term major objective of the group is to increase the productivity and to improve quality of Indian mustard Brassica juncea through transgenic approach and marker assisted breeding. To improve the productivity through hybrid seed production, the lab is actively engaged in development of male sterile and restorer lines by transgenic approach. Barnase (male sterile) and barstar (restorer) lines have been developed which are now being utilized in the B. juncea breeding programme at CGMCP (Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants), University of Delhi South Campus. Fatty acid desaturase-2 (FAD-2) gene isolated from Brassica campestris has been incorporated into B. juncea in antisense orientation through transgenic approach to increase oleic and decrease the linoleoic and linolenic acid fraction from the seed oil. Preliminary evaluation of first generaition transgenic plants indicate increase of oleic and upto 73-76% in the low erucic acid B. juncea lines. Work is in progress to stabilize the expression of antisense FAD-2 gene through development of homozygous lines. In order to undertake marker assisted breeding in an effective manner, a linkage map with 1029 AFLP and RFLP markers has been constructed in B. juncea. Research activities are underway to tag the genes responsible for erucic acid and glucosinolates. The molecular map developed in the lab is being utilized for dissection of quantitative trait loci (QTL) pertaining to yield and yield components.
