Genetic transformation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agave salmiana</Emphasis> by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium tumefaciens</Emphasis> and particle bombardment

Agave salmiana was transformed using two different protocols: co-cultivation with Agrobacterium tumefaciens and particle bombardment. The uidA (β-glucuronidase) gene was used as a reporter gene for both methods whereas the nptII and bar genes were used as selectable markers for A. tumefaciens and biolistic transformation respectively. Previous reports for in vitro regeneration of A. salmiana have not been published; therefore the conditions for both shoot regeneration and rooting were optimized using leaves and embryogenic calli of Agave salmiana. The transgenes were detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in 11 month old plants. The transgenic nature of the plants was also confirmed using GUS histochemical assays. Transformation via co-cultivation of explants with Agrobacterium harbouring the pBI121 binary vector was the most effective method of transformation, producing 32 transgenic plants and giving a transformation efficiency of 2.7%. On the other hand, the biolistic method produced transgenic calli that tested positive with the GUS assay after 14 months on selective medium while still undergoing regeneration.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-mediated genetic transformation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Perilla frutescens</Emphasis>

A reproducible plant regeneration and an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation protocol were developed for Perilla frutescens (perilla). The largest number of adventitious shoots were induced directly without an intervening callus phase from hypocotyl explants on MS medium supplemented with 3.0 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BA). The effects of preculture and extent of cocultivation were examined by assaying -glucuronidase (GUS) activity in explants infected with A. tumefaciens strain EHA105 harboring the plasmid pIG121-Hm. The highest number of GUS-positive explants were obtained from hypocotyl explants cocultured for 3 days with Agrobacterium without precultivation. Transgenic perilla plants were regenerated and selected on MS basal medium supplemented with 3.0 mg/l BA, 125 mg/l kanamycin, and 500 mg/l carbenicillin. The transformants were confirmed by PCR of the neomycin phosphotransferase II gene and genomic Southern hybridization analysis of the hygromycin phosphotransferase gene. The frequency of transformation from hypocotyls was about 1.4%, and the transformants showed normal growth and sexual compatibility by producing progenies.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-mediated transformation of meadow fescue (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Festuca pratensis</Emphasis> Huds.)

Meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.) is an important cool-season forage grass in Europe and Asia. We developed a protocol for producing meadow fescue transgenic plants mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformation. Embryogenic calli derived from mature embryos were transformed with A. tumefaciens strain AGL1 carrying the binary vector pDM805, coding for the phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (bar) and β-glucuronidase (uidA) genes. Bialaphos was used as the selective agent throughout all phases of tissue culture. In total, 40 independent transgenic plants were recovered from 45 bialaphos-resistant callus lines and an average transformation efficiency of 2% was achieved. The time frame from infection of embryogenic calli with Agrobacterium to transferring the transgenic plants to the greenhouse was 18 weeks. In a study of 11 BASTA-resistant transgenic lines, the uidA gene was expressed in 82% of the transgenic lines. Southern blot analysis revealed that 82% of the tested lines integrated one or two copies of the uidA gene. C. Gao and J. Liu contributed equally to the work.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-mediated transformation of the dwarf pomegranate (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Punica granatum</Emphasis> L. var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">nana</Emphasis>)

The dwarf pomegranate (Punica granatum L. var. nana) is a dwarf ornamental plant that has the potential to be the model plant of perennial fruit trees because it bears fruits within 1 year of seedling. We established an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system for the dwarf pomegranate. Adventitious shoots regenerated from leaf segments were inoculated with A. tumefaciens strain EHA105 harboring the binary vector pBin19-sgfp, which contains neomycin phosphotransferase (npt II) and green fluorescent protein (gfp) gene as a selectable and visual marker, respectively. After co-cultivation, the inoculated adventitious shoots were cut into small pieces to induce regeneration, and then selected on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 μM α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 5 μM N⁶-benzyladenine (BA), 0.3% gellan gum, 50 mg/l kanamycin, and 10 mg/l meropenem. Putative transformed shoots were regenerated after 6–8 months of selection. PCR and PCR-Southern blot analysis revealed the integration of the transgene into the plant genome. Transformants bloomed and bore fruits within 3 months of being potted, and the inheritance of the transgene was confirmed in T₁ generations. The advantage of the transformation of dwarf pomegranate was shown to be the high transformation rate. The establishment of this transformation system is invaluable for investigating fruit-tree-specific phenomena.     

Genetic transformation of NERICA,interspecific hybrid rice between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza glaberrima</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">O. sativa</Emphasis>, mediated by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium tumefaciens</Emphasis>

We developed an efficient gene transfer method mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens for introgression of new rice for Africa (NERICA) cultivars, which are derivatives of interspecific hybrids between Oryza glaberrima Steud. and O. sativa L. Freshly isolated immature embryos were inoculated with A. tumefaciens LBA4404 that harbored binary vector pBIG-ubi::GUS or pIG121Hm, which each carried a hygromycin-resistance gene and a GUS gene. Growth medium supplemented with 500 mg/l cefotaxime and 20 mg/l hygromycin was suitable for elimination of bacteria and selection of transformed cells. Shoots regenerated from the selected cells on MS medium containing 20 g/l sucrose, 30 g/l sorbitol, 2 g/l casamino acids, 0.25 mg/l naphthaleneacetic acid, 2.5 mg/l kinetin, 250 mg/l cefotaxime, and 20 mg/l hygromycin. The shoots developed roots on hormone-free MS medium containing 30 mg/l hygromycin. Integration and expression of the transgenes were confirmed by PCR, Southern blot analysis, and histochemical GUS assay. Stable integration, expression, inheritance, and segregation of the transgenes were demonstrated by molecular and genetic analyses in the T₀ and T₁ generations. Most plants were normal in morphology and fertile. The transformation protocol produced stable transformants from 16 NERICA cultivars. We also obtained transformed plants by inoculation of calluses derived from mature seeds, but the frequency of transformation was lower and sterility was more frequent.     

Transformation of a filamentous fungus<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryphonectria parasitica</Emphasis> using<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium tumefaciens</Emphasis>

AsAgrobacterium tumefaciens, which has long been used to transform plants, is known to transfer T-DNA to budding yeast,Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a variety of fungi were subjected to theA. tumefaciens-mediated transformation to improve their transformation frequency and feasibility. TheA. tumefaciens-mediated transformation of chestnut blight fungus,Cryphonectria parasitica, is performed in this study as the first example of transformation of a hardwood fungal pathogen. The transfer of the binary vector pBIN9-Hg, containing the bacterial hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene under the control of theAspergillus nidulans trpC promoter and terminator, as a selectable marker, led to the selection of more than 1,000 stable, hygromycin B-resistant transformants per 1×10⁶ conidia ofC. parasitica. The putative transformants appeared to be mitotically stable. The transformation efficiency appears to depend on the bacterial strain, age of the bacteria cell culture and ratio of fungal spores to bacterial cells. PCR and Southern blot analysis indicated that the marker gene was inserted at different chromosomal sites. Moreover, three transformants out of ten showed more than two hybridizing bands, suggesting more than two copies of the inserted marker gene are not uncommon.     

Genetic transformation of golden pothos (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Epipremnum aureum</Emphasis>) mediated by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium tumefaciens</Emphasis>

To establish a procedure for Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum) plants, the effects of selection antibiotics and the preculture period of stem explants before A. tumefaciens infection were examined. Explants were co-cultivated with A. tumefaciens EHA105, harboring the plasmid pGWB2/cGUS, on a somatic embryo-inducing medium supplemented with acetosyringone. Resulting transgenic somatic embryos were screened on an antibiotic selection medium, and the transgenic pothos plants were regenerated on a germination medium. Hygromycin was the optimum selection antibiotic tested. The preculture period significantly affected the transformation efficiency, with explants precultured for one-day showing the best efficiency (5–30%). Both transformed hygromycin-resistant embryos and regenerated plants showed β-glucuronidase activity. Southern blot analysis confirmed transgene integration into the pothos genome. This reproducible transformation system for golden pothos may enable the molecular breeding of this very common indoor plant.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium tumefaciens</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium rhizogenes</Emphasis> transformed roots of the parasitic plant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Triphysaria versicolor</Emphasis> retain parasitic competence

Parasitic plants in the Orobanchaceae invade roots of neighboring plants to rob them of water and nutrients. Triphysaria is facultative parasite that parasitizes a broad range of plant species including maize and Arabidopsis. In this paper we describe transient and stable transformation systems for Triphysaria versicolor Fischer and C. Meyer. Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Agrobacterium rhizogenes were both able to transiently express a GUS reporter in Triphysaria seedlings following vacuum infiltration. There was a correlation between the length of time seedlings were conditioned in the dark prior to infiltration and the tissue type transformed. In optimized experiments, nearly all of the vacuum infiltrated seedlings transiently expressed GUS activity in some tissue. Calluses that developed from transformed tissues were selected using non-destructive GUS staining and after several rounds of in vivo GUS selection, we recovered uniformly staining GUS calluses from which roots were subsequently induced. The presence and expression of the transgene in Triphysaria was verified using genomic PCR, RT PCR and Southern hybridizations. Transgenic roots were also obtained by inoculating A. rhizogenes into wounded Triphysaria seedlings. Stable transformed roots were identified using GUS staining or fluorescent microscopy following transformation with vectors containing GFP, dsRED or EYFP. Transgenic roots derived from both A. tumefaciens and A. rhizogenes transformations were morphologically normal and developed haustoria that attached to and invaded lettuce roots. Transgenic roots also remained competent to form haustoria in response to purified inducing factors. These transformation systems will allow an in planta assessment of genes predicted to function in plant parasitism. Alexey Tomilov and Natalya Tomilova made an equal contribution in the paper.     

The expression of analgesic-antitumor peptide (<Emphasis Type="Italic">AGAP</Emphasis>) from Chinese <Emphasis Type="Italic">Buthus</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">martensii</Emphasis> Karsch in transgenic tobacco and tomato

The present study aimed to obtain analgesic-antitumor peptide (AGAP) gene expression in plants. The analgesic-antitumor peptide (AGAP) gene was from the venom of Buthus martensii Karsch. Previous studies showed that AGAP has both analgesic and antitumor activities, suggesting that AGAP would be useful in clinical situations as an antitumor drug. Given that using a plant as an expression vector has more advantages than prokaryotic expression, we tried to obtain transgenic plants containing AGAP. In the present study, the AGAP gene was cloned into the plasmid pBI121 to obtain the plant expression vector pBI-AGAP. By tri-parental mating and freeze–thaw transformation, pBI-AGAP was transformed into Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404. Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and tomato (Lycopersicom esculentum) were transformed by the method of Agrobacterium-mediated leaf disc transformation. The transformants were then screened to grow and root on media containing kanamycin. Finally, transformations were confirmed by analysis of PCR, RT-PCR and western blotting. The results showed that the AGAP gene was integrated into the genomic DNA of tobacco and tomato and was successfully expressed. Therefore, the present study suggests a potential industrial application of AGAP expressed in plants.     

Establishment of an efficient <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium tumefaciens</Emphasis>-mediated leaf disc transformation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thellungiella halophila</Emphasis>

Thellungiella halophila is a salt-tolerant close relative of Arabidopsis, which is adopted as a halophytic model for stress tolerance research. We established an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation procedure for T. halophila. Leaf explants of T. halophila were incubated with A. tumefaciens strain EHA105 containing a binary vector pCAMBIA1301 with the hpt gene as a selectable marker for hygromycin resistance and an intron-containing β-glucuronidase gene as a reporter gene. Following co-cultivation, leaf explants were cultured on selective medium containing 10 mg l⁻¹ hygromycin and 500 mg l⁻¹ cefotaxime. Hygromycin-resistant calluses were induced from the leaf explants after 3 weeks. Shoot regeneration was achieved after transferring the calluses onto fresh medium of the same composition. Finally, the shoots were rooted on half strength MS basal medium supplemented with 10 mg l⁻¹ hygromycin. Incorporation and expression of the transgenes were confirmed by PCR, Southern blot analysis and GUS histochemical assay. Using this protocol, transgenic T. halophila plants can be obtained in approximately 2 months with a high transformation frequency of 26%.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">tumefaciens</Emphasis>-mediated transformation of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Helminthosporium turcicum</Emphasis>, the maize leaf-blight fungus

Agrobacterium tumefaciens has the ability to transfer its T-DNA to plants, yeast, filamentous fungi, and human cells and integrate it into their genome. Conidia of the maize pathogen Helminthosporium turcicum were transformed to hygromycin B resistance by a Agrobacterium-tumefaciens-mediated transformation system using a binary plasmid vector containing the hygromycin B phosphotransferase (hph) and the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) genes controlled by the gpd promoter from Agaricus bisporus and the CaMV 35S terminator. Agrobacterium-tumefaciens-mediated transformation yielded stable transformants capable of growing on increased concentrations of hygromycin B. The presence of hph in the transformants was confirmed by PCR, and integration of the T-DNA at random sites in the genome was demonstrated by Southern blot analysis. Agrobacterium-tumefaciens-mediated transformation of Helminthosporium turcicum provides an opportunity for advancing studies of the molecular genetics of the fungus and of the molecular basis of its pathogenicity on maize.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-mediated genetic transformation of grapevine (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vitis vinifera</Emphasis> L.) with a novel stilbene synthase gene from Chinese wild <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vitis pseudoreticulata</Emphasis>

A novel stilbene synthase gene (STS), cloned from Chinese wild Vitis pseudoreticulata (W. T. Wang) and responsible for synthesis of the phytoalexin resveratrol in grapevine, was successfully transferred into V. vinifera L. cv. Thompson Seedless via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Using transformation procedures developed in the present study, 72% GFP-positive germinated embryos were produced with about 38% of transformed embryos regenerated into normal plantlets. Integration of the STS gene into the transgenic plants was verified by PCR and Southern blot analysis. Expression of the STS gene was detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which showed that the resveratrol concentration in the transgenic plants was 5.5 times higher than that in non-transformed control plants. Chaohong Fan and Ni Pu contributed equally to this work.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-mediated transformation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dioscorea zingiberensis</Emphasis> Wright,an important pharmaceutical crop

Dioscorea zingiberensis Wright has been cultivated as a pharmaceutical crop for production of diosgenin, a precursor for synthesis of various important steroid drugs. Because breeding of D. zingiberensis through sexual hybridization is difficult due to its unstable sexuality and differences in timing of flowering in male and female plants, gene transfer approaches may play a vital role in its genetic improvement. In this study, the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of D. zingiberensis was investigated with leaves and calli as explants. The results showed that both leaf segments and callus pieces were sensitive to 30 mg/l hygromycin and 50–60 mg/l kanamycin, and using calli as explants and addition of acetosyringone (AS) in cocultivation medium were crucial for successful transformation. We first immersed callus explants in A. tumefaciens cells for 30 min and then transferred the explants onto a co-cultivation medium supplemented with 200 μM AS for 3 days. Three days after, we cultured the infected explants on a selective medium containing 50 mg/l kanamycin and 100 mg/l timentin for formation of kanamycin-resistant calli. After the kanamycin-resistant calli were produced, we transferred them onto fresh selective medium for shoot induction. Finally, the kanamycin resistant shoots were rooted and the stable incorporation of the transgene into the genome of D. zingiberensis plants was confirmed by GUS histochemical assay, PCR and Southern blot analyses. The method reported here can be used to produce transgenic D. zingiberensis plants in 5 months and the transformation frequency is 24.8% based on the numbers of independent transgenic plants regenerated from initial infected callus explants.     

Improved <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-mediated genetic transformation of GNA transgenic sugarcane

Six plasmids carrying a snowdrop lectin (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin, GNA) and one of three selection markers were successfully transferred into two sugarcane cultivars (FN81–745 and Badila) via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Agrobacterium strains LBA4404, EHA105 and A281 that harboured a super-binary vector were used for sugarcane transformation. The use of the hygromycin (Hyg) resistance gene (hpt II), phosphinothrincin (PPT) resistance gene (bar) or G418 resistance gene (npt II) as a screenable marker facilitated the initial selection of GNA transgenic sugarcane callus with different efficiencies and helped the rapid segregation of individual transformation events. All the three selective marker genes were controlled by CaMV 35S promoter, while GNA gene was controlled by promoter of RSs-1 (rice sucrose synthase-1) or Ubi (maize ubiquitin). Factors important to successful transformation mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens were optimized, which included concentration of A. tumefaciens, medium composition, co-cultivated methods with plant tissue, strain virulence and different selective marker genes. An efficient protocol for sugarcane transformation mediated by A. tumefaciens was established. The GNA gene has been integrated into sugarcane genome as demonstrated by PCR and Southern dot blotting detections. The preliminary results from bioassay demonstrated a significant resistance of the transgenic sugarcane plants to woolly aphid (Ceratovacuna lanigera Zehnther) indicating thus the possibility for obtaining a transgenic sugarcane cultivar with resistance to woolly aphid.     

High-frequency transformation of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Lobelia erinus</Emphasis> L. by<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-mediated gene transfer

A highly efficient transformation procedure was developed for Lobelia erinus. Leaf or cotyledon discs were inoculated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA105 harboring the binary vector plasmid pIG121Hm, which contains a -glucuronidase gene with an intron as a reporter gene and both the neomycin phosphotransferase II and hygromycin phosphotransferase genes as selectable markers. The hygromycin-resistant calli produced on the selection medium were transferred to MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l benzyladenine and 0.2 mg/l indole-3-acetic acid for regeneration of adventitious shoots. Transgenic plants were obtained as a result of the high regeneration rate of the transformed calli, which was as high as 83%. In contrast, no transgenic plant was obtained by the procedure of direct shoot formation following inoculation with A. tumefaciens. Transgenic plants flowered 3–4 months after transformation. Integration of the transgenes was detected using PCR and Southern blot analysis, which revealed that one to several copies were integrated into the genomes of the host plants. The transformation frequency at the stage of whole plants was very high—45% per inoculated disc.Abbreviations BA: 6-Benzyladenine - 2,4-D: 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - GUS: -Glucuronidase - IAA: Indole-3-acetic acidCommunicated by G.C. Phillips     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-mediated transformation of the medicinal plant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Centaurea montana</Emphasis>

An efficient transformation system was developed for Centaurea montana by co-cultivation of leaf explants with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain AGL1 that contained a plasmid harboring the isopentenyl transferase gene under the control of the developmentally regulated Atmyb32 promoter of Arabidopsis thaliana and the gene encoding for hygromycin resistance under the control of the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S (CaMV35S) promoter. A total of 990 explants were infected with Agrobacterium, and 18 shoots were regenerated resulting in an overall transformation efficiency of 1.8%. Molecular analyses, including PCR, Southern blotting and RT-PCR, were performed on T₀ and T₁ plants to confirm chromosomal integration and expression of the transgene in the phenotypically normal transformed plants. Transformation of C. montana was also performed using A. tumefaciens supervirulent strain EHA105 harboring the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene. Expression of the GUS gene in the putative transgenics was confirmed using a histochemical GUS assay.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-mediated transformation of cotton (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gossypium hirsutum</Emphasis> L.) via vacuum infiltration

AnAgrobacterium-mediated gene transfer system with recovery of putative transformants was developed for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cv. Cocker-312. Two-month-old hypocotyl-derived embryogenic calli were infected through agroinfiltration for 10 min at 27 psi in a suspension ofAgrobacterium tumefaciens strain GV3101 carrying tDNA with theGUS gene, encoding β-glucuronidase (GUS), and the neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) gene as a kanamycin-resistant plant-selectable marker. Six days after the histochemicalGUS assay was done, 46.6% and 20%GUS activity was noted with the vacuum-infiltration and commonAgrobacterium-mediated transformation methods, respectively. The transformed embryogenic calli were cultured on selection medium (100 mg/L and 50 mg/L kanamycin for 2 wk and 10 wk, respectively) for 3 mo. The putative transgenic plants were developed via somatic embryogenesis (25 mg/L kanamycin). In 4 independent experiments, up to 28.23% transformation efficiency was achieved. PCR amplification and Southern blot analysis fo the transformants were used to confirm the integration of the transgenes. Thus far, this is the only procedure available for cotton that can successfully be used to generate cotton transformants.     

Gene transfer into <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum tuberosum</Emphasis> via <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhizobium</Emphasis> spp.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) is the preferred technique for gene transfer into crops. A major disadvantage of the technology remains the complexity of the patent landscape that surrounds ATMT which restricts its use for commercial applications. An alternative system has been described (Broothaerts et al. in Nature 433:629-633, 2005) detailing the propensity of three rhizobia to transform the model crop Arabidopsis thaliana, the non-food crop Nicotiana tabacum and, at a very low frequency, the monocotyledonous crop Oryza sativa. In this report we describe for the first time the genetic transformation of Solanum tuberosum using the non-Agrobacterium species Sinorhizobium meliloti, Rhizobium sp. NGR234 and Mesorhizobium loti. This was achieved by combining an optimal bacterium and host co-cultivation period with a low antibiotic regime during the callus and shoot induction stages. Using this optimized protocol the transformation frequency (calculated as % of shoots equipped with root systems with the ability to grow in rooting media supplemented with 25 μg/ml hygromycin) of the rhizobia strains was calculated at 4.72, 5.85 and 1.86% for S. meliloti, R. sp. NGR234 and M. loti respectively, compared to 47.6% for the A. tumefaciens control. Stable transgene integration and expression was confirmed via southern hybridisation, quantitative PCR analysis and histochemical screening of both leaf and/or tuber tissue. In light of the rapid advances in potato genomics, combined with the sequencing of the potato genome, the ability of alternative bacteria species to genetically transform this major food crop will provide a novel resource to the Solanaceae community as it continues to develop potato as both a food and non-food crop.     

Genetic transformation of a hepatoprotective plant, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phyllanthus amarus</Emphasis>

Phyllanthus amarus Schum & Thonn. is a source of various pharmacologically active compounds such as phyllanthin, hypophyllanthin, gallic acid, catechin, and nirurin, a flavone glycoside. A genetic transformation method using Agrobacterium tumefaciens was developed for this plant species for the first time. Shoot tips of full grown plants were used as explants for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transgenic plants were obtained by co-cultivation of shoot tips explants and A. tumefaciens strain LBA4404 containing the pCAMBIA 2301 plasmid harboring neomycin phosphotransferase II (NPT II) and β-glucuronidase encoding (GUS) genes in the T-DNA region in the presence of 200 μM acetosyringone. Integration of the NPT II gene into the genome of transgenic plants was verified by PCR and Southern blot analyses. Expression of the NPT II gene was confirmed by RT-PCR analysis. An average of 25 explants was used, out of which an average of 19 explants produced kanamycin-resistant shoots, which rooted to produce 13 complete transgenic plants.