Advancements in Genetic Engineering
Open Access

Escherichia coli as gene donor in transgenic plant technology

International Conference on Genetic Engineering & Genetically Modified Organisms

August 12-13, 2013 DoubleTree by Hilton, Raleigh, NC, USA

Katherine M. Pappas

Keynote: Adv Genet Eng

Abstract :

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is the bacterial vector of choice for the transfer of transgenes to plant recipients. We here report that Escherichia coli can also act as a transgene donor and achieve Arabidopsis thaliana transformation in plant by the flower dip method, in collaboration with an A. tumefaciens helper strain. This process, which has been described before for Nicotiana tabacum explant tissue transformation, entails in situ conjugal transfer of the transgene from E. coli to A. tumefaciens , and then to the plant. In the case of Arabidopsis , this process quite surprisingly takes place on intact plant flower surfaces. By employing a most yielding A. tumefaciens strain and by optimizing bacterial mating procedures and numbers, transformation frequencies that fall within the lower limits of standard A. tumefaciens -mediated gene transfer are achieved. This is a novel approach in transgenic plant technology; it is simpler, faster, and particularly promising for the transfer of large and unstable DNA fragments.

Biography :

Katherine M. Pappas completed her under- and postgraduate studies at the University of Athens, Greece (UoA) and postdoctoral work at Cornell University, NY. She is currently an Assistant Professor at UoA. She has served as an elected administrative member in UoA, consultant for the Greek Ministry of Health (EFET), proposal evaluator in Greece and the EU, and ad hoc or permanent reviewer in high impact-factor journals. She is a member of many Scientific Societies, current US DOE-JGI collaborator in two projects, and author of research papers, reviews and book chapters.