The use of glufosinate as a selective agent in Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of soybean

Abstract

The soybean transformation procedure using the Agrobacterium-cotyledonary node transformation system and the bar gene as the selectable marker coupled with glufosinate as a selective agent is described. Soybean cotyledonary explants were derived from 5 day old seedlings and co-cultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens for 3 days. Explants were cultured on Gamborg's B5 medium supplemented with 1.67 mg l-1 BAP and glufosinate at levels of 3.3 mg l-1 or 5.0 mg l-1 for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks explants were subcultured to medium containing MS major and minor salts and B5 vitamins (MS/B5) supplemented with 1.0 mg l-1 zeatin-riboside, 0.5 mg l-1 GA3 and 0.1 mg l-1 IAA amended with 1.7 mg l-1 or 2.0 mg l-1 glufosinate. Elongated shoots were rooted on a MS/B5 rooting medium supplemented with 0.5 mg l-1 NAA without further glufosinate selection. Plantlets were transplanted to soil and grown to maturity and set seed in the greenhouse. Primary transformants and their progeny were characterized by Southern blot analysis and a leaf paint assay.