RESEARCH ARTICLE

Journal of Oil Palm Research Vol. 21 (2) December 2009, p. 643-652

TRANSFORMATION OF OIL PALM USING Agrobacterium tumefaciens

DAYANG IZAWATI Abang Masli* ; AHAMD PARVEEZ Ghulam Kadir* ; ABDUL MASANI Mat Yunus*

ABSTRACT

Transgenic oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) plantlets were regenerated after using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of embryogenic calli derived from young leaves of oil palm. The calli were transformed with a Agrobacterium strain, LBA4404, harbouring the plasmid pUBA, which carries a selectable marker gene (bar) for resistance to the glufosinate-ammonium and is driven by a maize ubiquitin promoter. Modifications of the transformation method, treatment of the target tissues using acetosyringone, exposure to a plasmolysis medium and physical injury via biolistics were applied. The main reasons for such modifications were to activate the bacterial virulence system and to subsequently increase the transformation efficiency. Transgenic oil palm was selected and regenerated on a medium containing glufosinate-ammonium. Molecular analyses revealed the presence and integration of the introduced bar gene into the genome of the transformants. This is the first report of a successful transformation of oil palm using A. tumefaciens for selection against glufosinate-ammonium.

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* Malaysian Palm Oil Board,
P. O. Box 10620, 50720
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
E-mail: izawati@mpob.gov.my