The higher growth activity of transgenic plants was correlated with enhanced levels of free and bound IAA. The specific activity of UDPG-transferase was higher in transgenic potato as well. The intensities of transpiration and photosynthesis were higher in leaves of transgenic potato than in  nontransformed control potato leaves (Table 5). Table  5.  The  transpiration,  stomata  conductivity  and  photosynthesis  of  nontransformed  and transgenic potato cv. Borodyanski Variant                      Transpiration               Gas conductivity         Photosynthesis                                   (mmol/m2 /s)                   (mol/m2 /s)                  (µmol/m2 /s) May 29       PAR = 1000 – 1200 µmol/m2/s        To C    22-23 Nontransformed         7.75±0.45                       0.79±0.15                  11.09±4.66 Transgenic                 8.73±0.28                       0.99±0.14                  16.67±0.32 June 1         PAR = 1000 – 1200 µmol/m2 /s       To C   23-24 Nontransformed          5.72±0.30                       0.35±0.02                 10.00±0.43 Transgenic                  8.47±0.50                       1.13±0.35                 15.40±0.66 July 1          PAR = 1000-1200  µmol/m2 /s        To C    25-26 Nontransfomed           6.35±0.03                        0.40±0.02                  6.60±0.51 Transgenic                9.05±0.05                        0.57±0.41                16.60±1.89        The yield of potato tubers in nontransformed and transgenic plants is presented in Table 6. Table 6.   Masses of tuber harvest in nontransformed and transgenic potato (kg per plant) Variant                                         Plants in row                                       Average                                        1         2          3          4          5          6 Summer 2000 Nontransformed           1.6       1.5      1.4       1.3       1.3        1.2          1.4±0.2 Transgenic                   4.2       3.6      3.2       2.5       2.4        2.3          3.0±0.8 Summer 2001 Nontransformed           4.0       3.9      3.9       3.3       3.2        3.0          3.6±0.4 Transgenic                   7.1       6.0      5.8       4.3       3.4        3.0          4.9±1.5 In summer 2001 the field conditions for testing were improved and tubers were planted in squares 85x90 cm instead of 70x70 cm as in summer 2000. Plants in beds were better  fertilized as well.  Perhaps due to this agrotechnical improvement the yield in  both transgenic and nontransformed plants was higher in 2001 than in 2000. However, the maximum harvest was significantly higher in transgenic potato in comparison to nontransformed ones. The   highest   copy   numbers   of   the   gene   ugt   was   found   in   sprouts   grown   up   after transformation of potato tubers in comparison with nontransformed tubers and sprouts (Figure 1, A and B). But some homologous sequences were present in nontransformed potato which hybridized with primers to the gene ugt. The expression of target gene ugt was studied via RT-PCR techniquess (Figure 1, C). There were distinct bands of about 1800 bp in transgenic sprouts at the same levels as in RNA from E. coli with pBluescript carrying the gene ugt. But there were no bands in nontransformed sprouts of potato or in variant with only

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