Barry Victor Charlwood

Transgenic roots of Solanum spp. containing extra copies of an hmgr gene derived from Artemisia annua have been obtained via transformation with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Hairy root clones of Solanum aviculare which were transgenic for hmgr typically grew faster than those which did not contain extra copies of this gene and also accumulated up to 4.2 times more solasodine when grown under dark, but not light, conditions. The implications of these findings with respect to the regulation of solasodine production in Solanum spp. are considered. CaMV:cauliflower mosaic virusHMGR:3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductasehmgr:gene encoding HMGRHPLC:high pressure liquid chromatographyMS:Murashige and Skoog mediumnos:sequences from the gene encoding nopaline synthasenptII:gene encoding neomycin phosphotransferase IIPCR:polymerase chain reactionTBE:tris borate bufferT_D:doubling timevir:virulence geneYMB:yeast, mannitol and broth medium

Hevea brasiliensis anther calli were genetically transformed using Agrobacterium GV2260 (p35SGUSINT) that harboured the β-glucuronidase (gus) and neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII) genes. β-Glucuronidase protein (GUS) was expressed in the leaves of kanamycin-resistant plants that were regnerated, and the presence of the gene was confirmed by Southern analysis. GUS was also observed to be expressed in the latex and more importantly in the serum fraction. Transverse sections of the leaf petiole from a transformed plant revealed GUS expression to be especially enhanced in the phloem and laticifers. GUS expression was subsequently detected in every one of 194 plants representing three successive vegetative cycles propagated from the original transformant. Transgenic Hevea could thus facilitate the continual production of foreign proteins expressed in the latex.