The effect of glyphosate herbicide on the expression of pathogenesis related genes and resistance induction in transgenic Potato plants treated with two strains of Potato pathogens

Our objective was to investigate the effect of glyphosate in induction of resistance to two plant bacterial pathogens. To do so, glyphosate at an optimal concentration of 1.8 mg / l was used on the transgenic potato, Odyssay cultivar, to induce resistance to two strains of pathogenic bacteria (21A of Pectobacterium atrosepticum and ENA49 of Dickeya dadantii). RT-PCR analysis on RNA isolated from transgenic plants, showed overexpression of aroA and potato defense response genes. Transgenic potato leaves infected with potato pathogenic bacteria, and then treated with glyphosate showed a high level of expression of pathogenesis-related genes (PR-2, PR-3, PR-5), especially PR-2 and defense response genes (HSR-203j, HIN1), especially HSR-203j. However; the plants infected with bacteria and non-treated by glyphosate did not significantly change the expression of these genes. The results showed that the treatment of plants by glyphosate may not only eliminate weeds of farmland but can also induces a systemic acquired resistance to pathogenic bacteria by expressing of PR proteins and defense response genes.