Transformation of the tropane alkaloid-producing medicinal plant Hyoscyamus muticus by particle bombardment

We report an efficient whole plant transformation system for Hyoscyamus mut icus, an important medicinal plant of the Solanaceous family. We developed a system using a plasmid carrying the nptII and gusA genes, which was deliv ered into leaf explants by particle bombardment. Ten percent of bombarded l eaf explants formed kanamycin-resistant callus, from which putative transge nic plants were recovered. The nptII gene conferring kanamycin resistance w as found to be incorporated into the genome of all transgenic plants screen ed. Over 50% of the kanamycin resistant plants showed strong expression of the non-selected gusA gene. The majority of transgenic plants reached matur ity, could be self pollinated, and produced fertile seed. A simple and effi cient whole plant transformation system for this medicinal plant is an impo rtant step in furthering our understanding of tropane alkaloid production i n plants.