Assessment of biolistic and Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation methods in Cenchrus ciliaris

Cenchrus ciliaris, commonly known as buffelgrass, is an apomictic perennial range grass usually grown in arid/semi-arid regions. Because of the difficulties faced in conventional breeding of this polymorphic polyploid grass, the development of an efficient protocol for genetic transformation is warranted. Such a protocol would enable functional genomic studies needed to elucidate the mechanism of apomixis in this species. The embryogenic calli for genetic transformation experiments were obtained by in vitro culture of the immature inflorescences of buffelgrass cv. IGFRI-3108. Four developmental stages of immature inflorescences were compared for callus induction, and the most mature stage produced most callus. Embryogenic calli were bombarded at three distances, 6 cm (L1), 9 cm (L2), or 12 cm (L3) with a marker geneuid A present in pCAMBIA1301, under the same vacuum (85 kPa) and at constant pressure (900 psi). TheAgrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation was also performed using the same construct. Transient and stable expression as well as PCR amplification of theGUSgene was used for comparative analysis as well as for validation of the transformants. Transient GUS expression was present in a significantly higher percentage of bombarded calli (56.33%) than ofAgrobacteriumtreated calli (11.17%), but the number of GUS positive cells per callus was similar. Among the three different bombardment distances, transient GUS expression was highest at L2, but stable GUS expression was highest at L1. Shoot development from the bombarded calli could be accomplished, which failed from theAgrobacterium-mediated transformed calli. Thus, the results indicate thatC.ciliariscv. IGFRI-3108 can be successfully transformed through Biolistic particle bombardment, while Agrobacterium-mediated transformation requires further optimization of transformation protocols.