Abstract

In the present study, we report the partial cloning and characterization of Phytoene desaturase (PDS) gene from the plant Piper colubrinum, a distant relative of Piper nigrum (Black pepper). P. colubrinum is the only species reported to be totally immune to Phytophthora capsici infection. PDS gene is widely used as a visual reporter gene for functional genomics studies in various plant species. We have amplified a 1 kb PDS fragment from P. colubrinum cDNA using degenerate primers and cloned it into pCR®8/GW/TOPO® vector. Sequencing and further phylogenetic analysis confirmed the sequence as Phytoene desaturase. The PDS gene fragment was re-amplified using gene specific primers and sequence was confirmed for its further use in virus-induced gene silencing studies.