HIGH-EFFICIENCY TRANSFORMATION OF PEPPERMINT (MENTHA X PIPERITA L.) WITH AGROBACTERIUM-TUMEFACIENS

Transgenic peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) plants were obtained by u sing Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated gene transfer. The effects of the coculture period and of the Agrobacterium strain were tested. 10% transformed plants were regenerated by leaf disk culture after inocula tion with strain EHA105/MOG harbouring beta-glucuronidase and neomycin phosphotransferase II genes, with a coculture period of 5 days. Rooti ng of regenerated plants was achieved on selective medium with 150 mg/ l kanamycin. The presence of transgenes in DNA was shown through PCR a nd Southern blot hybridization and transgene product activity via hist oenzymatic GUS test and leaf callus assay. Transgenic plants were succ essfully acclimatized in the greenhouse. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ire land Ltd. All rights reserved.