title: The use of green fluorescent protein (GFP) improves Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of 'Spadona' pear (Pyrus communis L.).
abstract: An efficient and reproducible system for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of the pear (Pyrus communis L.) cultivar Spadona was developed. Leaf explants of in vitro propagated plants were cocultivated with the disarmed Agrobacterium strain EHA105 harboring the plasmid pME504, carrying the uidA-intron and nptII genes. Under selective conditions, 5% of the plantlets regenerated and were positively stained for GUS. However, most of the GUS-positive plants re-callused and subsequently died, leaving only 0.3-0.8% of these plantlets to reach maturity. In order to identify transformed shoots at early stages of regeneration, we introduced the green fluorescent protein (GFP) into the pear cultivar Spadona using the plasmid PZP carrying the nuclear-targeted GFP and nptII genes. High expression levels of GFP were detected in transgenic cells as early as 7 days after transformation. GFP marked-callii and transformed plants were observed after 14 and 24 days, respectively. Fluorescence microscopy screening of transformed plant material, under the selection of kanamycin, increased the transformation frequency to 3.0-4.0%. We conclude that the introduction of GFP improves the selection of transformed plants of Spadona pear.
authors.affiliation: Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Agricultural University, 12 Mendeleev Street, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Yancheva
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Shlizerman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Golubowicz
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yabloviz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perl
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hanania
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Flaishman
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000166:cytology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000166:cytology; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D031989:Pyrus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D012038:Regeneration; D012231:Rhizobium / Q000235:genetics*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins