TRANSGENIC TOBACCO EXPRESSING VITREOSCILLA HEMOGLOBIN EXHIBITS ENHANCED GROWTH AND ALTERED METABOLITE PRODUCTION

The gene for Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) has been introduced and exp ressed in Nicotiana tabaccum (tobacco). Transgenic tobacco plants expr essing VHb exhibited enhanced growth, on average 80-100% more dry weig ht after 35 days of growth compaired to wild-type controls. Furthermor e, germination time is reduced from 6-8 days for wild-type tobacco to 3-4 days and the growth phase from germination to flowering was 3-5 da ys shorter for the VHb-expressing transgenes. Transgenic plants contai ned, on average, 30-40% more chlorophyll and 34% more nicotine than co ntrols. VHb expression also resulted in an altered distribution of sec ondary metabolites: In the transgenic tobacco plants anabasine content was decreased 80% relative to control plants.