TRANSFORMATION OF PASSIONFRUIT (PASSIFLORA-EDULIS FV FLAVICARPA DEGENER) USING AGROBACTERIUM-TUMEFACIENS

Leaf and stem explants of passionfruit (Passifloro edulis fv flavicarpa) were co-cultivated with a disarmed strain of Argobacterium tumefaciens harbouring the co-integrate vector pMON200. Four plants of passionfruit were regenerated from leaf explants on agar-solidified Murashige and Skoog (1962) based medium containing 4.43 mu M 6-benzyl-aminopurine and supplemented with 86 mu M kanamycin sulphate. The four plants were rooted by transfer to MS based medium with 14.7 mu M 3-indolebutyric acid and 2.68 mu M alpha-naphthyleneacetic acid for 7 d, followed by MS based medium lacking growth regulators. Both media used for rooting contained 172 mu M kanamycin sulphate. Rooted plants were potted and grown to maturity. Three of the plants synthesised nopaline and expressed neomycin phosphotransferase activity; DNA dot blot and polymerase chain reaction analyses confirmed the presence of the neomycin phosphotransferase gene in three plants.