TRANSIENT AND STABLE ELECTROTRANSFORMATIONS OF INTACT BLACK MEXICAN SWEET MAIZE CELLS ARE OBTAINED AFTER PREPLASMOLYSIS

When interested in plant cell transformation, the cell wall is often c onsidered as a barrier to DNA transfer, which is only overcome by woun ding or wall degrading enzymes. in this work, we demonstrate that cell plasmolysis before electropulsation is an efficient approach to DNA d elivery into intact plant cells. Using such a method, transient expres sion (beta-glucuronidase and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase) and st able expression (phosphinotricin acetyltransferase) of exogenous genes are obtained in intact black Mexican sweet maize cells.