AGROBACTERIUM-MEDIATED GENETIC-TRANSFORMATION IN HOT CHILIC (CAPSICUM-ANNUUM L. VAR. PUSA-JWALA)

A protocol for regeneration and genetic transformation has been establ ished for chilli (Capsicum annuum L. var. Pusa jwala). High frequency regeneration of shoot buds from cotyledonary leaves was achieved with Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l thidiazur on. Elongation of shoot buds and subsequent rooting was obtained on ha lf-strength MS medium with 0.5 mg/l IAA. The Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA 105 carrying a binary vector plasmid pBI 121 has been used for transformation. The cotyledonary explants from in vitro grown sho ots were cocultivated for 2 days. Shoot buds were produced on the rege neration medium containing kanamycin (50 mg/l) and cefotaxime (400 mg/ l). The shoot buds were elongated and rooted in the presence of kanamy cin (25 mg/l). The transgenic nature of the regenerated plants were co nfirmed by the histochemical staining of GUS, polymerase chain reactio n (PCR) and Southern hybridization analyses of nptII gene. (C) 1998 El sevier Science Ireland Ltd.