ARS | Publication request: EFFICIENT IN VITRO REGENERATION WILL MORE EFFECTIVELY FACILITATE GENETIC TRANSFORMATION OF DURUM WHEAT

Submitted to: Science in Action
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: February 1, 2005
Publication Date: May 20, 2005
Citation: Jauhar, P.P., Satyavathi, V.V. 2005. Efficient in vitro regeneration will more effectively facilitate genetic transformation of durum wheat. Science in Action, Electronic Newsletter for Practicing Professionals.

Technical Abstract: Traditional breeding and, to some extent, hybridization with wild relatives, coupled with manipulation of chromosome pairing, have resulted in genetic improvement of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L., 2n = 4x = 28). In recent years, direct introduction of foreign DNA by modern techniques has opened up new possibilities for durum improvement. However, an efficient in vitro regeneration system is a prerequisite for effective genetic engineering. To standardize a reliable regeneration protocol, we compared the effects of three growth regulators, 2,4-D, picloram, and dicamba in their ability to regenerate plants from scutellar cells in four commercial durum cultivars: Ben, Maier, Munich, and Lebsock. We found that Dicamba at 2.0 mg per liter was more effective for callus induction and subsequent plant regeneration compared to the other two growth regulators, 2,4-D and picloram. Among the four cultivars, Maier showed higher proportion of plant regeneration compared to the other three cultivars. The availability of an efficient regeneration system will accelerate genetic transformation work with durum wheat.