Transformation of a strawberry cultivar using a modified regeneration medium

VELLICCE GABRIEL RICARDO; YAMILET COLL; ATILIO CASTAGNARO; JUAN C. DIAZ RICCI

HORTSCIENCE

AMER SOC HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE

Año: 2003 vol. 38 p. 277 - 280

0018-5345

A protocol for shoot regeneration of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch. Cv ‘Pajaro’) leaf discs was developed. In Murashige and Skoog basal medium with 3 % of sucrose (w/v), benziladenine (1mg/l) and 2,4 dichlorofenoxiacetic acid (0.1 mg/l) a 70% of the cultivated leaf explants regenerated plants. This regeneration system was used for genetic transformation of strawberry with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA 4404 carrying the binary vector plasmid pBI121 that contains the npt II and uidA genes. A transformation rate of 6.6%, calculated as the number of leaf discs able to regenerate kanamycin resistant plants/total leaf discs infected, was obtained. The integration of both marker genes was evaluated in each transformed line by PCR amplification of the npt II and uidA genes. High expression levels of the uidA gene were found in leaves, flower and fruits of the transgenic lines. The protocol here reported may represent a way to conduct transformation research in strawberries.