Agrobacterium-mediated Genetic Transformation in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

The present study was undertaken to develop efficient transformation protocol for cucumber cv. Poinsett 76 using Agrobacterium strain EHA 105. Five-day-old mature cotyledon explants was used for transformation study. The infected explants were co-cultivated for 2 days in MS medium containing BA (1.0 mg Lˉ¹). The selection of transformed shoots was carried out in MS medium fortified with BA (1.0 mg Lˉ¹), Cefotaxime (300 mg Lˉ¹) and PPT (2.0 mg Lˉ¹). The transformed shoots were elongated in MS medium containing BA (1.0 mg Lˉ¹), Cefotaxime (300 mg Lˉ¹), PPT (2.0 mg Lˉ¹) along with GA3 (0.5 mg Lˉ¹). The rooting of elongated shoots was achieved in MS medium with BA (1.0 mg Lˉ¹), Cefotaxime (300 mg Lˉ¹), PPT (2.0 mg Lˉ¹) and IBA (0.6mg Lˉ¹). The transient GUS expression assay and leaf disc assay were carried out in order to find transformed shoots. The molecular confirmation of transformed shoots revealed the foreign gene integration into cucumber genome.