AGROBACTERIUM-MEDIATED TRANSFORMATION OF THE DESICCATION-TOLERANT PLANT CRATEROSTIGMA-PLANTAGINEUM

An efficient procedure for Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transfor mation of the desiccation-tolerant plant Craterostigma plantagineum ha s been developed. Leaf explants were inoculated with A. tumefaciens st rain GV3101 carrying the gene for kanamycin- or hygromycin-resistance and the beta-glucuronidase reporter gene. Parameters which affected th e transformation efficiency were the age of the explant, the degree of wounding and the presence of an antioxidant in the medium. Under opti mal conditions, calli originated in more than 80% of leaf explants. Tr ansformed plants were obtained from more than 50% of the cultured call i during regeneration in the presence of a suitable antibiotic. The st able integration of T-DNA was confirmed by Southern blot analysis and its expression by assays for beta-glucuronidase activity.