Summary
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Walp) embryos mechanically isolated from mature seeds and incubated in the presence of plasmid DNA harboring chimeric gus genes were shown to germinate into seedlings expressing β-glucuronidase activity in a variety of tissues, including the apical meristem. Embryo electroporation in the presence of DNA and protectants such as spermine and LipofectinTM increased both the proportion of embryo-derived seedlings expressing the chimeric gene and the level of gene expression. Microscopic observations of thin sections showed that the blue crystals representing the end product of transgene activity on X-glu were exclusively located inside the treated cells. Histological localization of the blue dye crystals varied with the promoter used to drive the transgene.
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Akella, V., Lurquin, P.F. Expression in cowpea seedlings of chimeric transgenes after electroporation into seed-derived embryos. Plant Cell Reports 12, 110–117 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00241945
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00241945