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Development of highly regenerable callus lines and biolistic transformation of turf-type common bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.]

  • Genetic Transformation and Hybridization
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Abstract

Common bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon, is a widely used warm-season turf and forage species in the temperate and tropical regions of the world. Improvement of bermudagrass via biotechnology depends on improved tissue culture responses, especially in plant regeneration, and a successful scheme to introduce useful transgenes. When the concentration of 6-benzylaminopurine was adjusted in the culture medium, yellowish, compact calluses were observed from young inflorescence tissue culture of var. J1224. Nine long-term, highly regenerable callus lines (including a suspension-cultured line) were subsequently established, of which six were used for biolistic transformation. Five independent transgenic events, with four producing green plants, were obtained following hygromycin B selection from one callus line. Three transgenic events displayed resistance to the herbicide glufosinate, and one of these showed β-glucuronidase activity since the co-transformation vector used in the experiments contained both the gusA and bar genes.

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Fig. 1A–L
Fig. 2A, B

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Abbreviations

ABA :

Abscisic acid

BAP :

6-Benzylaminopurine

2,4-D :

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

GA 3 :

Gibberellic acid

GUS :

β-Glucuronidase

hph :

Hygromycin phosphate transferase

hyg B :

Hygromycin B

NAA :

α-Naphthaleneacetic acid

SEC :

Somatic embryo cluster

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Tan Duy Tuong for excellent technical assistance, to Drs. Z.Y. Wang and P. Quail for the plasmids used in the experiments, and to former AgrEvo USA for the herbicide Finale. We thank Drs. C. Peacock, K. Azhakanandam, and E. Sivamani for critical reading of the manuscript. This work was supported, in part, by grants from the United States Golf Association and the North Carolina Turfgrass Foundation to R.Q.

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  1. Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7620, USA

    L. Li & R. Qu

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  1. L. Li
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Correspondence to R. Qu.

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Communicated by P. Ozias-Akins

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Li, L., Qu, R. Development of highly regenerable callus lines and biolistic transformation of turf-type common bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.]. Plant Cell Rep 22, 403–407 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-003-0706-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-003-0706-6

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