SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS AND AGROBACTERIUM-MEDIATED TRANSFORMATION OF CHRYSANTHEMUM

A method of somatic embryogenesis from leaf segments of Dendranthema g randiflora Tzvelev., cultivars 'Yellow Spider', 'White Snowdon', 'Oran ge Westland' and 'Mistletoe' was developed and used for transformation of these cultivars by Agrobacterium. Two different Agrobacterium tume faciens strains were used: the wild type B6S3 and the disarmed strain carrying in its T-DNA the beta-glucuronidase gene and the neomycine ph osphotransferase II gene as a selectable marker gene. Non-chimeric tra nsformed plants were obtained. The cultivar 'White Snowdon' has been p roved to be susceptible to Agrobacterium transformation. Regenerated p lants showed stable octopine synthase or beta-glucuronidase (GUS) expr ession during vegetative propagation.