Co-transformation of Oil Palm Using Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation

Abstract

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is being used as an alternative method for improving the conventional breeding. In this study, immature embryos (IEs) of oil palm are chosen as explants for transformation. &x03B2;-glucuronidase (gus) and green fluorescence protein (GFP) were harbored by the two plasmids pCAMBIA 1304 and pCAMBIA 1302 respectively. The results were obtained at least four days after transformation. The IEs placing in the N6O medium for 7 days were then co-cultivated with A.tumefaciens suspension within 30 mins and then incubated in the dark for 1 day. In single transformation, GUS assay revealed that about 64% transient transformation frequency was obtained for IEs two weeks after co-cultivation, GFP activity was recorded as 41.67% transformation frequency for IEs 4 days after co-cultivation. In co-transformation, the transformation frequency was lower than single transformation and there was no GFP activity recorded in co-transformation.