Vigna Δ 1 -pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS) cDNA was transferred to chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivar Annigeri via Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation. Following selection on hygromycin and regeneration, 60 hygromycin-resistant plants were recovered. Southern blot analysis of five fertile independent lines of T0 and T1 generation revealed single and multiple insertions of the transgene. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis of T0 and T1 progeny demonstrated that the P5CS gene is expressed and produced functional protein in chickpea. T1 transgenic lines accumulated higher amount of proline under 250 mM NaCl compared to untransformed controls. Higher accumulation of Na + was noticed in the older leaves but negligible accumulation in seeds of T1 transgenic lines as compared to the controls. Chlorophyll stability and electrolyte leakage indicated that proline overproduction helps in alleviating salt stress in transgenic chickpea plants. The T1 transgenics lines were grown to maturity and set normal viable seeds under continuous salinity stress (250 mM) without any reduction in plant yield in terms of seed mass.

A protocol for plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis was developed in two chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars ICCV-10 and Annigeri. Somatic embryos were induced from immature cotyledons on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and picloram alone or in combination with 0.5 -2.0 mg dm -3 N 6 -benzylaminopurine (BA) or kinetin (KIN). NAA was better for somatic embryo induction compared to other auxins. The well formed, cotyledonary shaped embryos germinated into plantlets with 36.6 % frequency on MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg dm -3 BA + 0.5 mg dm -3 abscisic acid (ABA). The frequency of embryogenesis and plantlet regeneration was higher in cv. ICCV-10 as compared to cv. Annigeri. Regenerated plants were transferred to soil (40 % survival) and grown to maturity. Histological studies of explants at various developmental stages of somatic embryogenesis reveled that somatic embryos developed directly from the cotyledon cells and they were single cell origin.

A highly efficient protocol for plant regeneration from cotyledonary node of two chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars ICCV-10 and Annigeri used phenylacetic acid (PAA). The Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2.0 mg dm -3 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 1.0 mg dm -3 PAA was used for induction of bud formation. Buds were elongated on MS medium supplemented either with only 0.75 mg dm -3 gibberellic acid (GA 3 ) or 0.2 mg dm -3 GA 3 + 0.6 mg dm -3 PAA. The elongated shoots were then transferred onto rooting medium containing 1 mg dm -3 PAA. The frequency of multiple shoot induction and rooting was higher in Annigeri as compared to ICCV-10. The complete plantlets with well-developed roots were transferred to pots containing sterilized soil and sand in the ratio 3:1 where they survived (74 %) and set normal seeds.

Objective: The present study envisage a novel series of thiazole, indole and thiazolidine derivatives, namely, N- 5,6,7,thiazole-2-amine (4a-c), 2-(5-substituted-2-phenyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-3- (4,5,6,7-trimethylbenzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-thiazolidin-4-one (5a-c) and 5-benzylidine-2-(5-substituted-2phenyl-1H-indol-3yl)-3- (4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-5,5,7-trimethylbenzo[d]thiazol-2-yl) thiazolidin-4-one (6a-c).Methods: All the newly synthesized compounds were characterized by infrared, 1 H, 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectral data and elemental analysis and evaluated for in vitro antimicrobial activity.Results: Novel compounds N- 5,6,7,thiazole-2-amine (4a-c), 2-(5-substituted-2-phenyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-3-(4,5,6,7-trimethylbenzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-thiazolidin-4-one (5a-c) and 5-benzylidine-2-(5-substituted2phenyl-1H-indol-3yl)-3- (4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-5,5,7-trimethyl benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)thiazolidin-4-one (6a-c) have been made and characterized using spectral and analytical data. The results of antibacterial and antifungal activities showed that some of the synthesized compounds exhibited promising activities. Conclusion:All the newly synthesized compounds were carried out by the broth microdilution method (NCCLS. 2002) in a DMF concentration of 500, 250, 125, and 62.5 µg/ml. Gentamycin and fluconazole are used as reference standards for antibacterial and antifungal activity, respectively. The final results revealed that compounds 4b, 5b, and 6b exhibited potent antimicrobial activity when compared to the standard drugs.

Accumulation of proline, activities of peroxidase (POX), catalase (CAT), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) were studied during different developmental stages of somatic embryos in chickpea. Callus cultures that did not form somatic embryos served as control. While increased levels of proline and POX activity were noticed in globular stages of embryos, CAT activity increased during early and late heart-shaped embryo formation indicating tissue-specific activation of these enzymes. The activity of PAL reached a peak during torpedo and cotyledonary stages of embryo development. On the other hand, MDH activity enhanced during the germination of somatic embryos inferring more requirement of energy during this stage. Electrophoretic (sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) pattern of proteins revealed that ten bands are associated with non-embryogenic tissues, whereas 11 bands with globular, heart, torpedo and cotyledonary stages of embryo development and nine bands during the germination stage of embryos. Two extra stage-specific protein bands with molecular masses of 16 and 18 kDa appeared during globular, heart, torpedo, and cotyledonary stages.But, these bands disappeared during germination of embryos and are absent in non-embryogenic cultures. This study thus may help in the identification of proteins and the role of above enzymes during different developmental stages of somatic embryo induction and their maturation in a recalcitrant leguminous crop plant chickpea.