Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #176999
Title: IMPROVEMENT IN TRANSFORMATION OF ANTHURIUM

Author
item Fitch, Maureen
item LEONG, T - HARC
item Albert, Henrik
item MCAFFERTY, H - HARC
item ZHU, J - HARC
item NIKOLOV, K - HARC
item MEGWENDE, T - HARC
item Moore, Paul
item Gonsalves, Dennis

Submitted to: In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology - Plants
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/31/2005
Publication Date: 6/20/2005
Citation: Fitch, M.M., Leong, T., Albert, H.H., Mcafferty, H., Zhu, J., Nikolov, K., Megwende, T., Moore, P.H., Gonsalves, D. 2005. Improvement in transformation of anthurium. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology - Plants. 41:p30-A.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Although genetic transformation of anthurium has been reported, the efficiency was relatively low and slow, requiring about 18 months from the time of co-cultivation with Agrobacterium tumafaciens to potting of transgenic plants (ref). We modified those published methods in an attempt to decrease the time and increase the efficiency for producing transgenic Anthurium plants. Embryogenic calli, initiated from leaf, stem, petiole, and root explants of in vitro-grown anthurium plants, were bright yellow in color and in the absence of selective pressure, capable of regeneration into green plants in about 3 months. Three different Agrobacterium strains, LBA4404, EHA105, and AGLØ, were compared for efficiency in transformation. While differences in decontamination of co-cultivated cultures were observed among the different Agrobacterium strains, each produced putative transgenic lines from all tissues. The most effective source for producing putative transgenic lines was the embryogenic calli. Putative transgenic lines were observed 5 weeks after co-cultivating embryogenic calli with Agrobacterium whereas all of the differentiated tissues developed selectively growing sectors 3 months after co-cultivation. Only 20% of the embryogenic callus clumps developed selectively growing sectors that continued growing the presence of the same or higher concentrations of the antibiotic G418 (geneticin). PCR amplification of the selection gene provided additional evidence of genetic transformation.