GENETIC-TRANSFORMATION OF EUSTOMA-GRANDIFLORUM GRISEB BY MICROPROJECTILE BOMBARDMENT

Foreign DNA was introduced into cell suspension cultures and leaf tiss ue of Eustoma grandiflorum Griseb. (lisianthus) by microprojectile bom bardment. For this purpose a low-cost bombardment device that uses a h elium flux to accelerate microprojectiles was built. When cell suspens ions were used, an average of 4.1 Kan resistant calli were recovered p er shot after 4 months' cultivation on selective medium. Most of the K an resistant plants regenerated from calli were positive to GUS assay. Both the nptII and gus genes were successfully amplified from alkali- treated leaves of putative transgenic plants by PCR analysis. Transgen ic plants were not recovered from bombarded leaves. Considering the ho st range specificity of Agrobacterium, and the response of the species to plant regeneration from suspension culture, microprojectile bombar dment is, at present, the most efficient procedure for genetic transfo rmation of lisianthus.