Recently, a wild peanut (Arachis diogoi) gene, called AdDjSKI, was found to be upregulated when the plant is under biotic stress and ciould be responsible to the resistance responses to late leaf spot caused by Phaeoisariopsis personata. The team of Sakshi Rampuria of the University of Hyderabad in India aim to study this gene as well as its potential uses for development of improved peanut cultivars.
AdDjSKI was found to be induced by multiple stress conditions in wild peanut. Recombinant E. coli cells expressing the AdDjSKI gene showed better growth compared to control cells under salinity, osmotic, acidic, and alkaline stress conditions. Meanwhile, overexpression of the gene in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) not only enhanced its abiotic stress tolerance but also its disease resistance against the pathogenic fungi.
These results suggest that AdDjSKI could be a potential gene for developing resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.

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