Agrobacterium Mediated Genetic Transformation of Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp) using Embryonic Axes for Resistance to Lepidopteron Insect

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp) is an important legume crop cultivated across several countries and ranks fifth in area among pulses. The most important yield constraint on pigeon pea is the lepidopteron pest, Helicoverpaarmigera. Therefore, in present investigation a protocol of Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation of pigeon pea genotype GT-102 was developed by usingAgrobacterium strain LBA 4404 harboring a modified binary vector pBIN1Aa₃ carrying the marker gene neomycin phosphotransferase II (npt II) and a synthetic cry1 Aa₃ gene under a constitutive 35S promoter. Out of total 100 Agrobacterium treated seeds, 27 plants were selected on kanamycin and transferred to soil reaching maturity after approximately four months. Integration of T-DNA into nuclear genome of transformed plants were confirmed by PCR amplification of 550 bp npt II fragment as well as about 1500 bp of cry1 Aa₃ gene. Where, four of the selected plants showed gene integration, the morphological features of the transgenic plants did not differ from those of non-transgenic plants. The protocol for pigeon pea transformation reported here is highly efficient and genotype independent as well.