Standardization of Regeneration and Agrobacteriummediated Transformation in Brinjal (Solanum melongena L) Cv. Manjarigota

An Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation system was developed for the production of transgenic Brinjal (Solanum melongena L) Cv Manjarigota resistant to Lepidopteran pest fruit and shoot borer (Leucinodes orbonalis, Guenee). Hypocotyls were transformed using Agrobacterium strain EHA 105 with a binary vector pBin Bt2 having kanamycin resistance gene as selection marker. Transient expression of Bt gene was achieved in transformed plant. The hypocotyls were regenerated 3–4 weeks after co-cultivation with Agrobacterium.. The two step selection procedure allowed the regeneration of shoots which were uniformly transformed. The integration of gene were confirmed at IIHR Bangalore. In this study, transformation based on regeneration from hypocotyls has been demonstrated. This method uses micropropagation, which has the important advantage that it allows regeneration of homogeneous populations of plants in a short period of time. This study shows the enormous potential for genetic manipulation of Brinjal for disease and pest resistance, as well as abiotic factors, using a rapid and non-species specific transformation and regeneration system.