Plant Biotechnology
Electronic Journal of Biotechnology ISSN: 0717-3458 Vol. 11 No. 1, Issue of January 15, 2008
© 2007 by Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso -- Chile Received March 21, 2007 / Accepted Mayo 20, 2007
DOI: 10.2225/vol11-issue1-fulltext-3
SHORT COMMUNICATION

Agrobacterium-mediated transient transformation of Mexican prickly poppy (Argemone mexicana L.)

Gregorio Godoy-Hernández*
Unidad de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de Plantas
Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán
A.C. C. 43 No. 130, Chuburná de Hidalgo 97200
Mérida, Yucatán, México
Tel: 999 9428330
Fax: 999 9 81 39 00
E-mail: ggodoy@cicy.mx

Elidé Avilés-Berzunza
Unidad de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de Plantas
Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán
A.C. C. 43 No. 130, Chuburná de Hidalgo 97200
Mérida, Yucatán, México
Tel: 999 9428330
Fax: 999 9 81 39 00
E-mail: avibeli@cicy.mx

Mildred Carrillo-Pech
Unidad de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de Plantas
Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán
A.C. C. 43 No. 130, Chuburná de Hidalgo 97200
Mérida, Yucatán, México
Tel: 999 9428330
Fax: 999 9 81 39 00
E-mail: mild@cicy.mx

Felipe Vázquez-Flota
Unidad de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de Plantas
Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán
A.C. C. 43 No. 130, Chuburná de Hidalgo 97200
Mérida, Yucatán, México
Tel: 999 9428330
Fax: 999 9 81 39 00
E-mail: felipe@cicy.mx

Website: http://www.cicy.mx

*Corresponding author

Financial support: Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) from México (Grant No. 28643-B).

Keywords: Argemone mexicana, β-glucuronidase, benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, genetic transformation, neomycin phosphotransferase II.

Abbreviations:

AS: acetosyringone
GUS: β-glucuronidase = EC. 3.2.1.31
TDZ: Thidiazuron = 1-phenyl-3-(1,2,3-thiadiazol-5-yl)-urea
YEB: Yeast Extract and Beef
Abstract
Full Text

Shoot apex, leaf primordia, leaf sections and roots from Mexican prickly poppy seedlings, were inoculated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring the binary vector pCAMBIA2301, which contained the β-glucuronidase (uid A) gene. Histochemical β-glucuronidase (GUS) assay in infected explants showed transient gus gene expression between 3 and 12 days after inoculation. To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. mexicana susceptibility to A. tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation.
Supported by UNESCO / MIRCEN network