DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFICIENT AGROBACTERIUM-MEDIATED TRANSFORMATION SYSTEM FOR BRASSICA-CARINATA

Shoot organogenesis and plant regeneration were readily achieved from cotyledonary petioles and hypocotyls of Brassica carinata. These expla nts were used for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. A construct c ontaining the selectable marker genes, neomycin phosphotransferase II, phosphinothricin acetyl transferase and the reporter gene beta-glucur onidase, under the control of a tandem 35S promoter, was used for tran sformation. Although transformation was achieved with both cotyledonar y petioles and hypocotyls, cotyledonary petioles responded best, with 30-50% of the explants producing GUS-positive shoots after selection o n 25 mg/l kanamycin. Direct selection on L-phosphinothricin also produ ced resistant shoots but at a lower frequency (1-2%).