Centre de Recherche en Horticulture, Département de Phytologie, F.S.A.A., Pavilion Envirotron, Université Laval, Québec G1K 7P4, Canada
*Corresponding author. E-mail: sandip135@yahoo.com
Present address: Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Calcutta - 700 019, India
An effective method for consistent regeneration of transgenic asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L) plants from electroporated protoplasts is described. Transgenic plants containing p-glucuronidase (GUS) and neomycin-phosphotransferase (NPTll) genes were obtained by electroporating callus-derived protoplasts of Asparagus officinalis L. Embryogenic callus tissue and plants from four kanamycin resistant lines expressed β-glucuronidase activity, as revealed by histological staining. The amplification of genomic DNA by polymerase chain reaction revealed the presence of both GUS and NPT ll genes in transformed callus tissue and plants. Southern hybridization confirmed the integration of these genes into the asparagus genome.
Asparagus officinalis L, electroporation, protoplast, somatic embryogenesis, transgenic plants
