Electroporation of immature maize zygotic embryos and regeneration of transgenic plants

Using the pulse-discharging electroporation system HPES-3, we have transferred the neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) gene and -glucuronidase (gus) gene into mechanically-woulded immature zygotic embryo cells of an elite local maize cultivar Huanong Supersweet No. 42 and have produced transgenic maize plants. DNA hybridization and NPTII dot assay showed that the foreign genes were integrated into the genomes and expressed stably in the cells of the transgenic calluses and plants.