ObjectivesThe green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene was transferred into Trichoderma hamatum ACCC31649 by the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. The growth-promoting effect and the colonizing patterns in pepper plants of this strain were investigated in this paper, which would provide a technical basis for the research of the rhizosphere colonization of T. hamatum in pepper plants and biocontrol mechanism of antagonistic fungus against pathogen.
MethodsThe Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation was used to select the GFP-labeled strain T. hamatum-GF21 which inherited stably, and the inoculation of T. hamatum by pouring root treatment and the observation of water slides of pepper tissue sections by fluorescence microscopy were used for the growth- promoting effect of pepper plants and its colonizing patterns.
ResultsThe stable GFP-labeled strain T. hamatum-GF21 was obtained. Fluorescence microscopy observation confirmed that the GFP-labeled strain T. hamatum-GF21 colonized in the roots, stems and leaves of the pepper. It colonized on the roots firstly and then moved to stems and leaves through the vascular bundle of the roots. After 30 days of pouring root treatment in the four-leaf pepper seedlings by the wide strain and the GFP-labeled strain T. hamatum-GF21 separately, the GFP-labeled strain T. hamatum-GF21 increased the pepper height by 13.5%, root length by 16.2%, fresh weight by 43.8% and dry weight by 45.3% respectively, compared with the water control. There is no significant difference between the wide strain and the GFP-labeled strain T. hamatum-GF21 in the effect on the plant growth promoting.
ConclusionsThe GFP-labeled strain T. hamatum can colonize in the roots, stems and leaves of the pepper, and show a significant growth-promoting effect on pepper plants. Therefore, the GFP-labeled strain T. hamatum-GF21 can be used on the research of the rhizosphere colonization in pepper plants and the biocontrol mechanism between pathogen and its antagonistic fungus.
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