Gene Transfer System Developed for Chokecherry
Researchers from North Dakota State University , with funding from the National Research Initiative Plant Genome Program, report in the February 2007 journal of HortScience the development of a gene transformation method for the specialty crop chokecherry ( Prunus virginiana L. ). Chokecherry is a small tree or big shrub widely distributed across the northern Great Plains in the United States and Canada . Conventional methods for breeding chokecherry are difficult and time consuming because of its complex genetics and a long juvenile growth period of 3-5 years. The new gene transformation method improves the quality of fruits and can be used on other specialty crops that are hard to breed using conventional breeding methods. Alternative biotechnology methods may be a useful tool, of which a reliable gene transformation system is required. This research has potential for future improvement of agronomic traits of other Prunus specialty crop species including peach and nectarine, apricot, sweet cherry, tart cherry, some plums and almond that may be recalcitrant to conventional breeding approaches.
In this study, transformed plants were recovered from the Agrobacterium-infected leaf tissues in woody plant medium, gene transfer verified by polymerase chain reaction and southern blot analysis confirmed that the transgenes were integrated into the genome. Transgenic in vitro shoots were rooted and grown in the greenhouse for further analysis.
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