AGROBACTERIUM-MEDIATED GENETIC-TRANSFORMATION OF SOLANUM-COMMERSONII DUN

Genetic transformation of explants can be used for introducing genetic markers in the wild potato species Solanum commersonii. Three different accessions of S. commersonii were tested for transformabitity with three A. tumefaciens strains. Cultural conditions as well as bacterial and plant genotypes had significant effects on transformation frequencies. The transgenic nature of regenerants was demonstrated by Southern blot analysis, callus growth on medium selective for the transgene (nptII) and expression of a cotransformed gus gene. Inheritance patterns for one of the transgenes were determined by sexual crosses and showed Mendelian segregation for single and multiple integrated copies of the neo marker.