Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of pepino and regeneration of transgenic plants

Abstract
Regeneration of pepino (Solanum muricatum Ait.) shoots was achieved both by organogenesis and by embryogenesis. Shoots derived via organogenesis were easily rooted and most regenerated plants appeared phenotypically normal. Transgenic plants were obtained using the binary vector pKIWI110 in the avirulent Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404. Optimization of transformation protocols was rapidly achieved by monitoring early expression of the GUS (β-D-glucuronidase) reporter gene carried on pKIWI110. Transgenic plants expressed GUS and selectable marker genes for kanamycin resistance and chlorsulfuron resistance. PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and Southern analysis provided molecular evidence for transformation.