STABLE TRANSFORMATION OF BARLEY CALLUS USING BIOLISTIC(R) PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT AND THE PHOSPHINOTHRICIN ACETYLTRANSFERASE (BAR) GENE

Suspension culture cells of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Klages) wer e collected on filters and bombarded with gold particles carrying the Basta (R) resistance (bar) gene, or both bar and the beta-glucuronidas e (uidA) genes in a Biolistic (R) Particle Accelerator. Filters carryi ng the bombarded tissues were selected on basal medium with increasing concentrations (maximum of 200 mg 1(-1)) of phosphinothricin. Survivi ng calli were assayed for the presence of phosphinothricin acetyltrans ferase activity. All positive calli were shown to have the bar gene in tegrated into their genome. Nine independent stable transformation eve nts have been analyzed with substantial variation in the integration p attern and transgene copy number. Some albino plantlets were produced, but no mature plants were obtained.