Regeneration and Characterization of Prairie Gentian (Eustoma grandiflorum) Plants Transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogenes

Abstract

Hairy roots were obtained from prairie gentian (Eustoma grandiflorum (Griseb.) Schinners cv. Murasaki-nomine) infected with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain A13. Plant regeneration occurred spontaneously on Linsmaier-Skoog (LS) medium lacking phytohormones under the light condition. Phenotypic alterations such as dwarfness, wrinkled leaves and cup-shaped corolla were observed in transformed plants. Southern analysis revealed the introduction of Ri-T-DNA in the plant genome. The transformed plants exhibited reduced fertility but some of them set viable seeds.