The Brassica napus L. plants expressing antimicrobial peptide cecropin P1 are safe for colonization by beneficial associative microorganisms

ABSTRACT This work was aimed to study the opportunity of transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), expressing the gene of antimicrobial peptide cecropin P1 (cecP1) to be inhabited with associative microorganisms Methylobacterium mesophilicum and Pseudomonas aureofaciens. Previously, resistance was demonstrated to the microbial pathogens:Erwinia carotovora B15, Pseudomonas syringae, Fusarium oxysporum, and Botrytis cinerea. Analysis of the fatty acid composition of transgenic plant seeds showed an increase in the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids. Plants studied showed increased photosynthetic activity in oxidative stress induced by paraquat instead of in oxidative stress and UV radiation compared to control ones. A study of the interaction of transgenic plants with the associative microorganisms showed that bacteria were located in all initially colonized plants, as well as in plants obtained after several passages of microproliferation. Accordingly, transgenic plants, containing the cecP1 gene were actively colonized by associative bacteria, indicating their safety for associative bacteria, indicating their safety for beneficial microorganisms.