title: STARTS--a stable root transformation system for rapid functional analyses of proteins of the monocot model plant barley.
abstract: Large data sets are generated from plants by the various 'omics platforms. Currently, a limiting step in data analysis is the assessment of protein function and its translation into a biological context. The lack of robust high-throughput transformation systems for monocotyledonous plants, to which the vast majority of crop plants belong, is a major restriction and impedes exploitation of novel traits in agriculture. Here we present a stable root transformation system for barley, termed STARTS, that allows assessment of gene function in root tissues within 6 weeks. The system is based on the finding that a callus, produced on root induction medium from the scutellum of the immature embryo, is able to regenerate roots from single transformed cells by concomitant suppression of shoot development. Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transfer of genes involved in root development and pathogenesis, we show that those calli regenerate large amounts of uniformly transformed roots for in situ functional analysis of newly expressed proteins.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition (IFZ), Justus Liebig University, Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jafargholi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Imani
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kogel
mesh_terms: D060054:Agrobacterium / Q000235:genetics; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001467:Hordeum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins