Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana Plants Expressing Bacterial Phytase

Transgenic plants containing genes of bacterial phytases represent one of the promising ways to solve the problem of phosphorus deficiency in the nutrition of plants and monogastric animals. Histidine acid phytase PaPhyC from Pantoea agglomerans has a high activity and represents a promising basis for the biotechnology of plants. In this study, the analysis of morphological characteristics, phytase activity, and phosphorus content in tissues of the earlier obtained, genetically modified Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. plants producing extracellular phytase (PaPhyC) has been carried out. According to the obtained results, modified plants are able to grow on a medium supplemented with phytate as the sole source of phosphorus. Exterior characteristics (rosette diameter and area) of phytase-expressing plants grown on media containing phytate or inorganic phosphorus do not differ, which confirms that the plants use phytate as the phosphorus source. In the case of plant cultivation on a phytate-containing medium, a high phytase activity is observed in the cell walls of modified plants. The content of inorganic phosphorus in tissues of modified plants does not change in the case of their cultivation on the medium containing phytate as the sole source of phosphorus.