A Highly Efficient Transformation Protocol for Micro-Tom, a Model Cultivar for Tomato Functional Genomics

TLDR

The study presents a highly efficient Agrobacterium‑mediated transformation protocol for the miniature dwarf tomato Micro‑Tom, a model for tomato functional genomics. Cotyledon explants infected with Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58C1Rif(R) carrying binary vector pIG121Hm produced a mass of chimeric adventitious buds, from which repeated shoot elongation on selection media yielded multiple transgenic plants originating from independent events. Transformation efficiency exceeded 40 % of explants, making the protocol a powerful tool for tomato functional genomics.

Abstract

We report a highly efficient protocol for the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of a miniature dwarf tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), Micro-Tom, a model cultivar for tomato functional genomics. Cotyledon explants of tomato inoculated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Rhizobium radiobacter) C58C1Rif(R) harboring the binary vector pIG121Hm generated a mass of chimeric non-transgenic and transgenic adventitious buds. Repeated shoot elongation from the mass of adventitious buds on selection media resulted in the production of multiple transgenic plants that originated from independent transformation events. The transformation efficiency exceeded 40% of the explants. This protocol could become a powerful tool for functional genomics in tomato.