ISHS Acta Horticulturae 405: VI International Symposium on Postharvest Physiology of Ornamental Plants
ANTISENSE ETHYLENE GENES FOR BEGONIA FLOWERS |
| Authors: | J.W. Einset, C. Kopperud |
| Abstract:
Leaf explants of Begonia x hiemalis cv. Hanne were co-cultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404 carrying the binary plasmid pBASC which has an antisense gene cassette for tomato ACC oxidase. After two days on a regeneration medium, explants were transferred to fresh regeneration medium supplemented with 50 mg/l kanamycin sulfate and cefotaxime. Transgenic plants, verified by PCR and by assays for antisense ethylene, did not exhibit improved flower longevity compared to controls nor did they have reduced ethylene production under most circumstances. Leaf and flower tissues of Hanne produced low levels of ethylene (0.2 nlg-1h-1) but ethylene production could be increased several-fold by incubating tissues with 1 mM 1- aminocyclo-propane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC). This suggests that low levels of ACC synthase normally limit ethylene production in begonia tissues. In the future, antisense strategies for begonia flowers should focus on the ACC synthase step. | |
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