| Popis: |
A procedure for transformation of the large-seeded endospermous legume guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) and a study on transmission of the transgenes to offspring generations are presented. Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens with a T-DNA construct harbouring a β-glucuronidase gene (uidA) and a neomycin phosphotransferase gene (nptII), maximum transformation frequencies of cotyledonary explants were obtained using 145 mg/l kanamycin sulfate as selective agent. Carbenicillin and cefotaxime, used for the elimination of Agrobacterium after co-culture, displayed considerable toxicity to guar tissues but replacing most of these β-lactams by the non-phytotoxic β-lactamase inhibitor sulbactam as well as addition of thidiazuron and silver thiosulfate increased transformation frequencies up to 10-fold in total. The presence of the transgenes in the primary transformants was demonstrated by genomic DNA analysis of GUS-positive shoots. Chimaeric plants (5–10%) were identified by GUS analysis at the flowering stage and were discarded. Analysis of the R1 offspring from 17 independent transformants showed that in 41% of those, the uidA gene(s) was expressed and stably inherited consistent with Mendelian genetics. This was also found for the R2 and R3 generations of single copy transformants. On the other hand, a large proportion (47%) of the primary transformants gave R1 offspring in which 100% of the plants were GUS-negative. Analysis of these plants by PCR revealed that, at least, most of the transgene sequences were absent, suggesting that they had not been transmitted from the parent transformants. This occurred at similar high frequencies (40–50%) irrespective of the estimated copy number of the transgenes. Thus, major parts of the transgenes, even when present in multiple copies, displayed aberrant transmission, at a high frequency, in the process of going from the primary transformants to the first offspring generation. |
Full text from SpringerLink