A high efficiency technique for the generation of transgenic sugar beets from stomatal guard cells

Hall, R. D., Riksen-Bruinsma, T., Weyens, G. J., Rosquin, I. J., Denys, P. N., Evans, I. J., Lathouwers, J. E., Lefèbvre, M. P., Dunwell, J. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2147-665X, van Tunen, A. and Krens, F. A. (1996) A high efficiency technique for the generation of transgenic sugar beets from stomatal guard cells. Nature Biotechnology, 14 (9). pp. 1133-1138. ISSN 1087-0156 doi: 10.1038/nbt0996-1133

Abstract/Summary

An optimized protocol has been developed for the efficient and rapid genetic modification of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.). A polyethylene glycol-mediated DNA transformation technique could be applied to protoplast populations enriched specifically for a single totipotent cell type derived from stomatal guard cells, to achieve high transformation frequencies. Bialaphos resistance, conferred by the pat gene, produced a highly efficient selection system. The majority of plants were obtained within 8 to 9 weeks and were appropriate for plant breeding purposes. All were resistant to glufosinate-ammonium-based herbicides. Detailed genomic characterization has verified transgene integration, and progeny analysis showed Mendelian inheritance.