COMPARISON OF SELECTIVE AGENTS FOR USE WITH THE SELECTABLE MARKER GENE BAR IN MAIZE TRANSFORMATION

The effectiveness of four phosphinothricin (PPT)-based selective agents were evaluated for use in maize transformation: glufosinate, bialaphos, Basta(R) and Herbiace(R). Glufosinate and its commercial formulation, Basta(R), were less effective in controlling growth of non-transgenic corn callus than the tripeptide, bialaphos, or its commercial formulation, Herbiace(R). Addition of 25 mM L-proline had no significant effect on selection when using bialaphos. However, when L-proline was included with the selective agent glufosinate, selection was inhibited and callus growth was enhanced. At four weeks, callus growth on 0.3, 1.0 and 3.0 mg l-1 glufosinate in the presence of proline was 76, 43, and 21% of control growth, respectively, and in the absence of proline was only 32, 9, and 6% of control growth. Optimized selection protocols for Basta(R) and bialaphos yielded comparable numbers of transformants. Using these protocols, fertile transgenic plants were regenerated from transformed callus cultures.