ARS | Publication request: FLORAL DIP: AGROBACTERIUM-MEDIATED GERM-LINE TRANSFORMATION

Submitted to: Handbook of Transgenic Plants
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: October 27, 2003
Publication Date: November 15, 2003
Citation: Clough, S.J. 2003. Transgenic plants: Methods and protocols. In: Pena, L., editors. Methods in Molecular Biology. Totowa, N.J.: The Humana Press, Inc. p: 91-101.

Technical Abstract: Many researchers use the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana to study gene function and basic plant biology. This easy-to-grow, small plant is ideal for genetic studies as it has a relatively simple genome compared to crop plants and its genetic material has been recently sequenced. Another great feature of Arabidopsis is that it is extremely simple to genetically transform. The ability to stably insert genes of interest into a given plant is essential to understand and verify gene function. Transformation is also a means of introducing specific traits that are difficult or impossible to introduce by conventional breeding techniques. This chapter provides detailed explanations on the floral dip protocol, a simple method to transform Arabidopsis by inoculating immature flowers with Agrobacterium tumefaciens.