EXTENSION OF FLOWER LONGEVITY IN TRANSGENIC TORENIA PLANTS INCORPORATING ACC OXIDASE TRANSGENE

We demonstrated extension of flower longevity in torenia (Torenia four nieri Lind.) by introducing a fragment of the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-ca rboxylic acid (ACC) oxidase gene in sense or antisense orientation. To renia was transformed by Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer, hmong p rimary transformants, 8 sense-gene-introduced plants (average flower l ongevity 2.7-7.1 days) and 3 antisense-gene-introduced plants (Dom 2.5 -2.7 days) showed significantly greater longevity than did wild-type p lants (2.0 days). Analysis of offspring suggested that the introduced gene had been inherited, and that the extended flower longevity was li nked to the existence of the gene. Northern blot analysis and measurem ent of ethylene production demonstrated a reduction in mRNA level and endogenous ethylene production in plants with improved flower longevit y. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.