Biolistic transformation of tobacco and maize suspension cells using bacterial cells a s microprojectiles

• Published in: Plant cell reports Vol. 13; no. 3/4; pp. 212 - 217
• Main Authors: Rasmussen, J.L, Kikkert, J.R, Roy, M.K, Sanford, J.C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 1994
• Subjects: Agrobacterium tumefaciens; cell suspension culture; DNA; Escherichia coli; gene transfer; genetic transformation; helium; Nicotiana tabacum; plasmids; viability; Zea mays
• ISSN: 0721-7714; 1432-203X

We have used both Escherichia coli cells and Agrobacterium tumefaciens cells as microprojectiles to deliver DNA into suspension-cultured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.line NT1) cells using a helium-powered biolistic device. In addition, E. coli cells were used as microprojectiles for the transformation of suspension-cultured maize (Zea mays cv. Black Mexican Sweet) cells. Pretreating the bacterial cells with Phenol at a concentration of 1.0%, and combining the bacterial cells with tungsten particles increased the rates of transformation. In N. tabacum, we obtained hundreds of transient transformants per bombardment, but were unable to recover any stable transformants. In Z. mays we obtained thousands of transient transformants and an average of six stable transformants per bombardment. This difference is discussed.