Agrobacterium-mediated Transformation and Gus Gene Expression in Amaranthuscaudatus

Abstract

People have sought to improve plants by the propagation and selection of better performing and most useful varieties. Twenty-five years ago Agrobacterium tumefaciens was considered to be a vector in the production of transgenic plants, but many important agronomic species are now being routinely processed using bacteria.Amaranthuscaudatus also called foxtail Amaranthus is the most important leafy crop widely available in the tropics and many warm temperate regions. These studies have been done to improve technologies that aim in exploiting Amaranthus due to its high nutritional content. Transgenesis is used to induce desirable traits into the particular plant. Already transgenic rice, wheat, and other crops have been produced successfully. Introduction of foreign genes into the plant tissues by Agrobacterium tumefaciens based on vector requires specific knowledge of Agrobacterium host compatibility. Agrobacterium tends to transfer foreign DNA into intact plant cells. Transformation of Amaranthuscaudatus was achieved using Agrobacterium strain LBA4404   pCAMBIA1301. GUS gene expression was observed in transformed plants but not in the control plants. Molecular analysis of Amaranthus plants was confirmed by PCR techniques.