THE USE OF VISUAL MARKER GENES AS CELL-SPECIFIC REPORTERS OF AGROBACTERIUM-MEDIATED T-DNA DELIVERY TO WHEAT (TRITICUM-AESTIVUM L.) AND BARLEY (HORDEUM-VULGARE L.)

Transfer of T-DNA from Agrobacterium tumefaciens and A, rhizogenes to cells of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is demonstrated following the inoculation of immature embryos and imma ture embryo-derived callus. Agrobacterium T-DNA vectors containing the C1/Lc anthocyanin-biosynthesis regulatory genes, the gusA gene or a s ynthetic green fluorescent protein gene (sgfp-S65T) were constructed f rom original binary vectors. The visual T-DNA markers were used as cel l-autonomous reporters of early Agrobacterium-mediated transformation events in the wheat and barley cells. This localization of the transfo rmed cells revealed a non-random distribution throughout each embryo a nd callus piece.