Transgenic fertile Scoparia dulcis L., a folk medicinal plant, conferred with a herbicide-resistant trait using an Ri binary vector

Summary Transgenic herbicide-resistant Scoparia dulcis plants were obtained by using an Ri binary vector system. The chimeric bar gene encoding phosphinothricin acetyltransferase flanked by the promoter for cauliflower mosaic virus 35S RNA and the terminal sequence for nopaline synthase was introduced in the plant genome by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation by means of scratching young plants. Hairy roots resistant to bialaphos were selected and plantlets (R0) were regenerated. Progenies (S1) were obtained by self-fertilization. The transgenic state was confirmed by DNA-blot hybridization and assaying of neomycin phosphotransferase II. Expression of the bar gene in the transgenic R0 and S1 progenies was indicated by the activity of phosphinothricin acetyltransferase. Transgenic plants accumulated scopadulcic acid B, a specific secondary metabolite of S. dulcis, in amounts of 15–60% compared with that in normal plants. The transgenic plants and progenies showed resistant trait towards bialaphos and phosphinothricin. These results suggest that an Ri binary system is one of the useful tools for the transformation of medicinal plants for which a regeneration protocol has not been established.Abbreviations CaMV cauliflower mosaic virus - NPT-II neomycin phosphotransferase - PAT phosphinothricin acetyltransferase - PPT phosphinothricin