Full Length Research Paper

Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression system in banana immature fruits

Kazumitsu Matsumoto*, Glaucia Barbosa Cabral, João Batista Teixeira and Damares de Castro Monte

Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, PqEB, Final Av. W3 Norte, 70770-900 Brasilia-DF, Brazil.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: kazumoto@cenargen.embrapa.br. 

Tel.: ++55-61-3448-4796. Fax: ++55-61-3340-3624.

Accepted 20 July, 2009

Transient expression assays are useful for saving time in studies of gene function, particularly ones expressed in fruit. Transient expression system of a reporter gene in immature fruit of banana was developed. Agrobacterium tumefaciens, whose plasmid contains an intron-containing β-glucuronidase (gusA) gene under regulatory control of the CaMV 35S promoter, was vacuum-infiltrated into sliced fruits and co-cultured. GUS histochemical assay was performed three days after co-cultivation, and a high level of GUS expression was observed. This transient expression system is useful for routine transient assays to validate genes expressed in banana fruit.

Key words: Agrobacterium tumefaciens, co-cultivation, GUS, Musa, promoter.