Fertile, transgenic maize plants and methods for their production

This invention relates to a reproducible system for the production of stable, genetically transformed maize cells, and to methods of selecting cells that have been transformed. One method of selection disclosed employs the Streptomyces bar gene introduced by microprojectile bombardment into embryonic maize cells which were grown in suspension cultures, followed by exposure to the herbicide bialaphos. The methods of achieving stable transformation disclosed herein include tissue culture methods and media, methods for the bombardment of recipient cells with desired transforming DNA, and methods of growing fertile plants from the transformed cells. This invention also relates to the transformed cells and seeds and to the fertile plants grown from the transformed cells and to their pollen.