Full Length Research Paper

Composite Phaseolus vulgaris plants with transgenic roots as research tool

Nathalie Colpaert¹, Sofie Tilleman², Marc van Montagu¹, Godelieve Gheysen³ and Nancy Terryn¹*

¹Institute Plant Biotechnology for Developing Countries (IPBO) Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B 9000 Gent, Belgium.

²Plant Systems Biology (VIB), Technologiepark 927, 9052 Gent, Belgium.

³Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Coupure links 653, 9000 Gent Belgium.

*Corresponding author: nancy.terryn@ugent.be. Tel: 32 9 264 5201. Fax: 32 9 264 8795.

Abbreviations: WT, Wild type; GFP, Green fluorescent protein; GUS: ß-glucuronidase; ER, endoplasmatic reticulum; OD, optical density.

Accepted 6 December, 2007

Large seeded grain legumes such as the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) are very important crops with seeds that are major protein source for people in developing countries, but their yields and improvement lag behind the economically more important cereals. For research purposes, genetic transformation is a powerful tool to obtain valuable information on gene expression and putative gene functions. In addition, through genetic transformation, candidate genes can be evaluated for their potential in agricultural biotechnology applications, such as resistance against biotic stresses. However, it remains difficult to stable genetically transform large seeded grain legumes such as Phaseolus and cowpea using Agrobacterium tumefaciens. In this paper a system is described to obtain so-called transgenic composite plants from P. vulgaris. These have a transgenic root system, obtained through Agrobacterium rhizogenes transformation of de-rooted seedlings. Their potentials for studies on important processes in the root system will be discussed.

Key words: Genetic transformation, Phaseolus vulgaris, Agrobacterium rhizogenes.