Recovery of fertile transgenic plants via Agrobacterium tumefaciensmediated transformation in Indian soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) cultivar

Transgenic plants of an Indian soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) cultivar JS335 were obtained using Agrobacteriummediated transformation. Half seed explants were inoculated with A. tumefaciens strain EHA 105 harboring pBI121 containing -glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene and neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII) as selectable marker gene. Selection of regenerated primary plants was carried out in a medium with sub-lethal dose of kanamycin (100–175 mg/L). Transformed plants were recovered with a success rate of 0.91%. Stable integration and expression of transgenes in T₀ plants were confirmed by southern blot and histochemical assay respectively. The T₀ plants were fully fertile, with no apparent phenotypic abnormalities. Analysis of the T₁ progeny and T₄ plants from four independent events showed the stable inheritance of GUS gene.