New Method for Producing Transgenic Plants

Technology Description:

The invention is a method for producing transformed plants expressing the cyanamide hydratase (Cah) gene, a selectable marker.  Immature plant embryos are cultured to form callus tissue and DNA coding for cyanamide hydratase is delivered into callus tissue. Transformed plants are regenerated from callus tissue, which have been selected and identified on cyanamide-containing media.  The Cah gene gives the transgenic plant the ability to convert cyanamide into urea as a fertilizer source.  The invention relates to the production of stably transformed and fertile monocotyledonous gametes, plants, seeds, and offspring. In addition, there is a general need for alternative selectable marker genes that are not herbicide or antibiotic.  The Cah gene could be introduced along with other genes for value added traits such as insect resistance, disease resistance, and quality.  It could be used in many other crop plant transformation systems (maize, rice, tomato, etc.) for similar purposes.  The Cah gene confers resistance to cyanamide toxicity at the tissue culture level and could provide a nutrient source at the whole plant level.

Reference:

Please refer to Patent Number 6,268,547, "Transformation of Wheat With the Cyanamide Hydratase Gene," which issued July 31, 2001.

J. Troy Weeks
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68583
(402) 472-9640 / Fax: (402) 472-4020 
tweeks@unlserve.unl.edu