Abstract
ABSTRACTChinese dwarf cherry [Cerasus humilis (Bge.) Sok] is a small deciduous shrub which produces fruit that contain high concentrations of nutritional and medicinal compounds. It is also highly drought and cold tolerant, so it has been exploited for soil and water conservation purposes. Using mature leaves as initial explants, an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation system has been developed for Chinese dwarf cherry. Leaf segments from cultivar ‘99-02’ were successfully transformed with Agrobacterium strain LBA4404 harbouring the vector prolC1 which contained the rolC gene, the neomycin phosphotransferase gene (nptII), and the β-glucuronidase gene (gus). Transformation was confirmed using a histochemical β-glucuronidase (GUS) assay, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, and by reverse transcription-PCR of the rolC gene. Transgenic shoots of Lines 1 and 2 showed significant increases in root numbers and root lengths compared to non-transformed control shoots on medium without any added auxin or with a low concentration of auxin. This optimised genetic transformation procedure will provide a tool for future molecular breeding of Chinese dwarf cherry.
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