Genetic transformation of chrysanthemum using wild type Agrobacterium strains; strain and cultivar specificity

To develop an Agrobacterium mediated transformation protocol for chrysanthemum we studied the transformation efficiency of commonly used A.tumefaciens strains on 14 genotypes by comparing tumour size and frequency. One genotype was analyzed in detail using 14 strains of both A.tumefaciens and A.rhizogenes. Only a few genotype/strain combinations resulted in significant tumour formation. Especially 0-type strains were highly efficient. An 0-type strain was used to transfer genes for neomycine phosphotransferase (NPT II) and ß-glucuronidase (GUS) to a susceptible cultivar. Transfer of the GUS gene was confirmed by using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).