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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Cereal Crops Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #166639

Title: OPTIMIZATION OF AN AGROBACTERIUM-MEDIATED TRANSFORMATION SYSTEM FOR DURUM WHEAT

Author
item SATYAVATHI, VALLURI - PLNT SCI, NDSU, FARGO,ND
item Jauhar, Prem
item Dahleen, Lynn

Submitted to: International Wheat Scab Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/25/2004
Publication Date: 12/10/2004
Citation: Satyavathi, V.V., Jauhar, P.P., Dahleen, L.S. 2004. Optimization of an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system for durum wheat. Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Fusarium Head Blight; Incorporating the 8th European Fusarium Seminar. Dec. 11-15, 2004, Orlando, FL. Vol. 1, pp. 254.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Genetic manipulation by transformation via direct gene transfer can be a valuable adjunct to traditional plant breeding. The tools of direct gene transfer help engineer into plants new traits that are otherwise very difficult to introduce by conventional breeding. Methods of inserting genes into plant cells include biolistics particle bombardment or microprojection, electroporation, vacuum infiltration, and Agrobacterium-mediated systems. Of these, microprojection has been the most widely used and we standardized this technique for durum wheat. However, this technique is hampered by the occurrence of multiple gene insertions and gene silencing. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation suffers less from these drawbacks but has been limited mostly to dicotyledonous plants. Although Agrobacterium is currently employed for transformation of some monocots including bread wheat, it has not been used for durum wheat transformation so far. Having standardized an efficient in vitro regeneration system for a current commercial durum cultivar Maier, we are using isolated scutella and one week-old-calli from this cultivar for transformation with a disarmed Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain AGL1 harboring the binary vector containing the reporter gene, b-glucuronidase (GUS), and the bar gene as a selectable marker. Various factors influencing transformation efficiency, such as explant tissue, particle bombardment before infection, and duration of co-cultivation are being considered for optimization of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol for durum wheat to insert anti-fungal genes.