Kala Gopi

Rubber Research Institute of India · Department of Biotechnology

Plants produce a variety of organic compounds that are not directly involved in the primary metabolic process, known as secondary metabolites, but essential for the proper functioning of the plant in relation to its environment. Plant secondary metabolites are valuable phytochemicals used in pharmaceuticals, like flavors, fragrance, dyes, food addi...

Natural rubber (cis-1, 4-polyisoprene) is being produced from bark laticifer cells of Hevea brasiliensis and the popular high latex yielding Indian rubber clones are easily prone to onset of tapping panel dryness syndrome (TPD) which is considered as a physiological syndrome affecting latex production either partially or completely. This report des...

Identifying potential genes imparting abiotic stress tolerance is an important step for developing Hevea clones that can survive in stress-prone areas; so as to increase natural rubber production. In the present study, cdpk gene and its promoter region was isolated, cloned and characterized from the high latex yielding Hevea clone RRII 105. The in...

Genetic transformation is a promising tool for the improvement of the natural rubber producing tree, Hevea brasiliensis, through the incorporation of agronomically important genes. Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation and regeneration of transgenic plants in H. brasiliensis was previously achieved using callus as the target tissue. The pre...

Hevea brasiliensis (Euphorbiaceae) is the major source of the world natural rubber. Susceptibility of Hevea brasiliensis to various biotic and abiotic stresses and incidence of tapping panel dryness are the major constraints in natural rubber production. Gene stacking permits the integration of multiple genes for complex traits simultaneously into...

Abstract Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration systems developed in Hevea brasiliensis are being used in Hevea crop improvement through genetic approaches. In the present study, the effect of silver nitrate in improving the efficiency of the somatic embryogenesis pathway from leaf explants as well as Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transforma...

Hevea brasiliensis (Para rubber tree) is the major source of commercial natural rubber (cis-1,4-polyisoprene). Rubber produced in specialized cells called laticifers is one of the most important biological molecules used for the manufacture of about 35000 products. Being a cross-pollinated perennial tree species, genetic improvement through convent...

Hevea rubber clones are intensively cultivated in tropical regions of the world as main sources for Natural Rubber (NR) production which is one of the important raw materials for many industries. However, the heterozygous nature, long breeding time of trees and the prolonged period required for evaluation of mature traits are strong limitations for...

Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) is an important industrial crop for natural rubber production. At present, more than 9.5 million hectares in about 40 countries are devoted to rubber tree cultivation with a production about 6.5 million tons of dry rubber each year. The world supply of natural rubber is barely keeping up with a global de...

Plants are emerging as a promising alternative to conventional platforms for the large-scale production of recombinant proteins. This field of research, known as molecular farming, is developing rapidly and several plant-derived recombinant proteins of therapeutic value are already in advanced stages of clinical trials. Most such efforts are using...

In vitro toxicity and microbial contamination control efficiency of three fungicides - benomyl, bavistin and fytolan and three antibiotics - nystatin, amphotericin-B and streptomycin were assessed by incorporating them in the Hevea shoot culture medium. Of the different compounds tested no single compound could effectively control contamination of...

An efficient and reproducible protocol for Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation and plant regeneration of Hevea brasiliensis with the gene coding for superoxide dismutase under the control of Figwort Mosaic Virus (FMV) 34S promoter has been developed. H. brasiliensis (clone RRII 105) callus derived from immature anther was tran...

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation and the regeneration of transgenic plants was achieved in Hevea brasiliensis. Immature anther-derived calli were used to develop transgenic plants. These calli were co-cultured with A. tumefaciens harboring a plasmid vector containing the H. brasiliensis superoxide dismutase gene (HbSOD) und...