Transgenic plantlets

As observed in the hairy roots, hyoscyamine was also the main alkaloid in the transgenic plantlets, though contents were much lower. Fig. (51). The contents in the leaves and roots varied widely among the different strains tested and no correlation was observed between the transgenic plantlets and their original hairy roots. The - rol c diploid plants, showing abundant formation both of roots and shoots, contained trace amount of hyoscyamine (below the detection limit). 

Production of transgenic plantlets and their morphological traits... 

Figure 3. MerA confers strong resistance to ionic mercury in soil. Three-week-old wild-type (WT) tobacco plantlets and transgenic plantlets expressing merA were transplanted into two different native Georgia soils (GA) and Fafard poting mix soil without (0 ppm) or with mercury at the concentrations indicated. This photograph was taken another three weeks later. The WT controls all severely inhibited or died on mercury and are indicated by arrows.

Kikkert, J.R., Hebeit-Soule, D., Wallace, P.G., Striem, M.J., Reisch, B.L, 1996. Transgenic plantlets of Chancellor grapevine (Vitis sp.) from bioUstic transformation of embryogenic cell suspensions. Plant Cell Rep. 15, 311-316. 

In this section, the genetic transformation of haploid A. belladonna plantlets derived from anther cultures as well as of the diploid plantlets is described [88]. The Ri plasmid of A. rhizogenes (strain A4) and its insertion and deletion mutants were used for the establishment of haploid and diploid transformed cultures. Discussion is focused on the morphological traits and tropane alkaloid production both in hairy roots and in regenerated transgenic haploid and diploid plantlets. 

Table 15. Morphological traits of transgenic A. belladonna plantlets...

Between the haploid plantlets, all showed the typical hairy root syndrome, especially wrinkled leaves and shortened intemodes. The expression of the hairy root syndrome, especially dwarf shoots, is much more pronounced in haploid than in diploid transgenic plants. 

Fig. (51). Hyoscyamine content in the different transgenic, belladonna plantlets (n=3).

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