High
and low pressure gene gun devices give similar
transformation efficiencies in maize calluses
Cecilia Décima Oneto*, Ezequiel Bossio, Germán González,
Paula Faccio and Dalia Lewi
Instituto Nacional de
Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA- Castelar); Instituto de
Genética Ewald A. Favret. Las Cabañas y De Los Reseros s/n,
Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Accepted 28 May, 2010. |
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Maize (Zea mays) is a major food crop of the world.
Biotechnology plays an important role in plant genetic
improvement, particularly for the introduction of novel
traits in order to improve agronomic performance, medical
and industrial applications and food quality. Particle
bombardment is a rapid and simple method that enables the
generation of events and affords genes expression studies.
Nonetheless, an appropriate reporter gene is necessary to
visualize gene expression in the transformed cells. In this
study, conditions for transient expression in maize calluses
for high and low gene gun pressure devices were optimized
and their efficiencies were compared. Performance of gus
and gfp reporter genes, either bombarded alone or
together, was measured and compared. In addition, the
advantages and disadvantages of utilizing these reporter
genes in maize calluses and immature wheat embryos are
discussed. Finally, we report that for transient transgene
expression studies, the particle inflow gun (or LPGG) caters
the need while a commercial gene gun (HPGG) device is not of
much need.
Key words: Biolistic,
transient expression, reporter genes, plant genetic
improvement.
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