Summary
The ability to transfer foreign genes to grain sorghum would potentially allow production of cultivars with improved insect resistance and grain quality (nutritional, baking and brewing). We have established an Agrobacterium-medmted transformation protocol, based predominantly on axenic seedlings of inbred lines. After inoculation of Agrobacterium tumefaciens (LBA4404 pBI121 and AGLO pKIWI105) into wounded coleoptiles of in vitro germinating seedlings, we have generated putative transformants. No selection for antibiotic resistance was imposed. Expression of the GUS marker gene has been detected histochemically in 23 plantlets (from 250 inoculated seedlings). Histochemical GUS expression in non-transformed control sorghum seedlings has not been observed. Two individuals express GUS in all plant parts tested, while some of the remainder have whole tillers expressing the marker gene. Five primary transformants and their selfed progeny have been examined for GUS expression. In most cases, segregation ratios depart from the expected 3:1 ratio, possibly due to chimaerism or gene methylation. Southern analysis has revealed hybridisation to GUS sequences in high molecular weight genomic DNA in both primary transformants and selfed progenies.
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Godwin, I., Chikwamba, R. (1994). Transgenic Grain Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) Plants via Agrobacterium . In: Henry, R.J., Ronalds, J.A. (eds) Improvement of Cereal Quality by Genetic Engineering. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2441-0_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2441-0_7
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