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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Crop Improvement and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #195366
Title: PLANT REGENERATION AND TRANSFORMATION IN CASTOR (RICINUS COMMUNIS L.), AN IMPORTANT OIL CROP

Author
item Ahn, Yeh Jin
item Vang, Louisa
item Chen, Grace

Submitted to: In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology - Plants
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/2/2006
Publication Date: 6/1/2006
Citation: Ahn, Y., Vang, L., Chen, G.Q. 2006. Plant regeneration and transformation in castor (ricinus communis l.), an important oil crop. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology - Plants.

Interpretive Summary: Castor plants are the only commercial source of the unique hydroxy fatty acid, ricinoleic acid, which is essential for producing high-quality lubricants, paints, plastics, and coatings. However, efficient transformation techniques for castor plants have not been developed. In this study, we examined plant regeneration and genetic transformation of castor plants.

Technical Abstract: Explants from young castor plants produced adventitious shoots (24 shoots per explants). When developed and elongated, 93% of shoots were rooted. Regenerated plantlets were acclimated in the soil successfully. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting an efficient protocol for adventitious shoot formation from non- meristematic tissues in castor. Using this protocol, various conditions for Agrobacterium-mediated and biolistic transformations were tested for the genetic transformation. Establishment of a reliable transformation protocol will allow us to perform a broad range of transgenic studies in castor.