• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.293-300
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• 2011

This study is conducted to develop an efficient transformation system via particle bombardment with PLBs (Protocorm-like bodies) in Cymbidium. For this, pCAMBIA3301 vector which carries a herbicide-resistant bar gene and gus gene as a reporter gene was used for transformation with Cymbidium cultivars 'Youngflower ${\times}$ masako' line. To select transformants, proper concentration of herbicide, PPT (phosphinotricin), should be determined. As a result, 5 mg/l of PPT was selected as a proper concentration. Further, proper conditions for particle bombardment were determined to obtain a high frequency of transformation. Results showed that 1.0 ${\mu}g$ of DNA concentration, 1,100 and 1,350 psi for helium gas pressure, 1.0 ${\mu}m$ of gold particle and 6 cm of target distance showed the best result for the particle bombardment experiment. Also, pre-treatment with combination 0.2 M sorbitol and 0.2 M mannitol for 4 hrs prior to genetic transformation increased the transformation efficiency up to 2.5 times. Using transformation system developed in this study, 3.2 ~ 4.0 transgenic cymbidium plants can be produced from 100 bombarded PLBs on average. Putative transgenic plants produced in this system confirmed the presence of the bar gene by PCR analysis. Also, leaves from randomely selected five transgenic lines were applied for Basta solution (0.5% v/v) to check the resistance to the PPT herbicide. As a result, three of them showed resistance and one of them showed the strongest resistance with the maintenance of green color as non-transformed plants showed. Using this established transformation system, more genes of interests can be introduced into Cymbidium plants by genetic transformation in the future.