Agrobacterium Mediated Genetic Transformation of Eggplant (Solanum Melongena L.)

An efficient variety-independent method for producing transgenic eggplants (Solanum melongena L.) via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation was developed. Two weeks old cotyledon explants were transformed by co-cultivation with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harboring a binary vector pVDH65 carrying the reporter gene β-glucuronidase intron (GUS-INT) and the marker gene neomycin phosphotransferase (NPTII). Putative transformed explants were cultured on MS basal medium supplemented with different concentration of growth regulators and antibiotics. The best results were obtained when the explants were onto MS medium containing 0.5 mg/l NAA and 0.5 mg/l BA, 50 mg/l kanamycin, 100 mg/l cefotaxime and 25 mg/l acetosyringone. The putative transgenic shoot buds were allowed to elongate on the selection medium for subsequent histochemical GUS assay and PCR analysis. The presence of the GUS and NPTII genes were confirmed through GUS assay and PCR analyses.