Abstract
Transgenic phalaenopsis plants have been obtained by particle bombardment with a pneumatic particle gun device. All promoters of cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S, maize ubiquitin and rice actin genes could be expressed in phalaenopsis using transient assay of β-glucuronidase (gus) gene as a reporter. Bialaphos resistance gene (bar) which confers tolerance to herbicide bialaphos, was used as a selectable marker. Protocormlike bodies (PLBs) of phalaenopsis derived from the leaf segment culture were bombarded by gold particles coated with pMSP38 and pWI-GUS DNA containing the bar gene and the gus gene respectively driven by 35S promoter. Newly-formed PLBs were selected on the medium including bialaphos. Finally seven transgenic plants resistant to bialaphos were obtained, and one of them contained and expressed gus gene. PCR analysis confirmed their transgenic nature and western analysis and histochemical GUS assay showed the expression of bar and gus gene respectively.
