Technical Development for Large DNA Fragment Transformation in Plants

For large DNA fragment transformation in dicots and monocots, BIBAC2 vector system was applied to Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa L. cv. Jinmi as a model plant, respectively. For Arabidopsis, the Th1 gene in T23L3 BAC clone whose size is about 90 kb was used as the target gene source for transformation. Because T23L3 BAC clone was originally constructed in pBelloBAC11, the target gene was reconstructed into BIBAC2. As the results of reconstruction, 476 colonies were survived in selection medium containing 40 mg/L kanamycin. In colony hybridization analysis, 24 out of 476 colonies exhibited positive signals. In the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis, 11 out of 24 positive clones exhibited the band at the location of 90 kb. In Southern hybridization, positive signal band at the location of 90 kb was observed in all 11 transformants. Using these verified clones, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was applied to Arabidopsis thaliana th1-201 mutant for genetic complementation test. Twelve thousands T$_1$ seeds were harvested, and antibiotic selection test is being analyzed to verify whether these seeds were transformed. for rice, COR356 that contains 150 kb human genomic DNA in a BIBAC2 vector was used as the target gene. As the results of transformation, 151 out of 210 co-cultivated calli were survived in selection medium containing 5 mg/L hygromycin, and 45 out of 151 survived calli were regenerated into plants. Transformation efficiency was 21.6%. Progeny test using 71 seeds is being analyzed now. These results provide the potential that large DNA fragments can be transferred into both dicots and monocot by Agrobacterium-mediate d transformation system.