[The creation of transgenic tobacco plants expressing fragments of the ARGOS and NtEXPA4 genes in antisense orientation]

Transgenic tobacco plants expressing the fragments of the ARGOS and NtEXPA4 genes in antisense orientation have been created. Eleven lines of transgenic plants were investigated and five of them were characterized by a decrease in the sizes of the leaves and flowers as compared to control. Stalk sizes decreased when only the NtEXPA4 gene fragment was used. The organ size of the experimental plants decreased because of a reduction in the level of both cell division and cell expansion. Two lines of transgenic tobacco plants expressing the part of the ARGOS gene in antisense orientation were characterized by a reduction in the level of the NtEXPA1 and NtEXPA4 gene expression.