ISHS Acta Horticulturae 575: International Symposium on Tropical and Subtropical Fruits
GENETIC TRANSFORMATION OF BANANA EMBRYOGENIC CELLS THROUGH PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT USING A HERBICIDE RESISTANCE GENE AS SELECTABLE MARKER |
| Authors: | K. Matsumoto, L.S. Morais, G.R. Vianna, F.J.L. Aragão, E.L. Rech |
| Keywords: | Imazapyr, Musa, biolistic, transgenic plants |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.2002.575.3 |
| Abstract:
Bananas and plantains (Musa spp.) are among the most important horticultural crops in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. However, various diseases caused by fungi and viruses have seriously endangered the production of this species. Through genetic transformation technologies, disease resistant varieties may be produced. However, an effective selection process is needed to increase the efficiency of transformant recovery. For banana transformation, antibiotic resistance genes are widely used to enable this selection. The purpose of this study was to develop a simple and routine particle-bombardment system to generate transgenic bananas using a herbicide resistance gene as selectable marker. Preliminary experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of the herbicide Imazapyr on the development of embryogenic cells of “Maçã” banana (Musa sp. AAB group, Silk). A dose of 1 μM of Imazapyr was chosen for the transformation experiments. Embryogenic cells were bombarded with a plasmid vector compiling the ahas gene, under control of the ahas promoter from Arabidopsis thaliana. The bombarded cells were cultured with the herbicide-containing medium for 30 days, and putative transformed plants were regenerated. PCR analyses showed that the regenerated plants contained bombarded ahas gene. Southern hybridization confirmed the integration of the transgene into the banana genome. These results will provide a new selectable marker for banana transformation, in addition to antibiotic resistance genes, and should form the foundation for the introduction of economically important traits in banana. | |
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