GENE-TRANSFER TO MAIZE MALE REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURE BY PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT OF TASSEL PRIMORDIA

Maize (Zea mays L.) tassel primordia were used as a target for particl e bombardment, to assess the possibility of introducing foreign DNA in to male reproductive structures. Transient expression of the beta-gluc uronidase gene (GUS) or anthocyanin marker genes (C1 and B-Peru) drive n by the CaMV 35S promoter was obtained in tassel primordia 24h after bombardment. Gold particles coated with DNA reached stamen primordia t issues, which eventually form the anthers and pollen. Bombarded tassel s were also cultured in vitro and GUS activity was detected in the vas cular tissue of mature anthers that developed within 4 weeks. This new approach represents a preliminary step toward pollen mediated transfo rmation.