Construction of Citrus Transgenic Plant with Fatty Aicd Desaturase Gene

The transgenic plant of Citrus species (Citrus aurantium L.) was constructed with a fatty acid desaturase gene using microprojectile bombardment transformation system. The DNA of a fatty acid desaturase gene, fad7, constructed in pBI121 was coated onto tungsten particles ($1.1{\mu}m$) and introduced into callus cells by bombarding with 1100 psi of helium pressure, 1/4 in of gap distance, 7.0 cm of target distance and 27 in Hg of chamber vacuum. The bombarded cells were selected on the medium containing kanamycin. The selected cells were successfully regenerated into plantlets via somatic embryogenesis on the media containing plant growth regulators. The results of polymerase chain reaction analysis of genomic DNAs from the putative transformants showed that the introduced DNAs of fad7 were present in both the selected callus cells and the regenerated plantlets.