Transgenic turf-type tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) plants regenerated from protoplasts

• Published in: Plant cell reports 1992-11, Vol.11 (12), p.601-604
• Main Authors: SAM-BONG HA, FANG-SHENG WU, THORNE, T. K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Eukaryotic cell cultures; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Plant cells and fungal cells; Protoplast preparation, cell fusion and regeneration
• ISSN: 0721-7714; 1432-203X
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00236381

To improve turfgrasses using genetic engineering, we have developed a transformation system in turf-type tall fescue, one of the most important turfgrass species. Embryogenic cell cultures were established after callus induction from embryos of mature seed. The agarose-bead method with nurse cells was used to culture protoplasts and plants were regenerated from protoplasts of tall fescue cultured cells. To develop transgenic tall fescue plants, the hygromycin resistance gene and the β-glucuronidase gene were introduced into the tall fescue protoplasts by electroporation. A high concentration (200 mg/l) of hygromycin was required to select transformed cells because of the high level of endogenous resistance to the antibiotic in tall fescue. Most of the transformed cells exhibited GUS activity and several plants were regenerated from these cells. The presence of introduced genes was confirmed by Southern blot hybridization of PCR amplified DNA from transgenic plants.