ARS | Publication request: TRANSFORMATION OF BARLEY WITH AN ANTIFUNGAL PROTEIN GENE

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: October 26, 1997
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: In recent years barley has been challenged by Fusarium outbreaks in the upper Midwest. Fusarium infection reduces seed yield and makes surviving seeds unfit for use in food, feed and beverage products. Because there is no barley germplasm with Fusarium resistance, genetic transformation with an antifungal protein gene is a potential method for introducing Fusarium resistance into barley. Genes for antifungal permatin proteins which are produced in the starchy endosperm of barley and oats were cloned (Skadsen, unpubl.) and used to transform barley with particle bombardment. We are using excised immature embryos of barley cv. Golden Promise as target material for particle bombardment. After the bombardment the embryos are cultured on callus induction medium with a selective agent. The resulting calli are subcultured on fresh medium every two weeks. After four subcultures, callus cultures growing on selection are transferred on regeneration medium with a selective agent. The results of the transformation experiments will be discussed.