ABSTRACT
There are currently two main methods for successful and consistent transformation of soybean. Particle bombardment of proliferative embryogenic cultures (Finer and McMullen, 1991) and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cotyledonary nodes (Hinchee et al., 1988) have been studied and assimilated by most of the laboratories involved in the transformation of this important legume. Particle bombardment relies on physical introduction of DNA while Agrobacterium utilizes a biological vector for DNA delivery. These two systems present distinct and unique challenges, because both the target tissue and method for transgene insertion are different. Although these two transformation methods are very different, they do share similar transformation efficiencies. Additional methods exist and continue to be developed, but these two approaches remain the most often used. In this chapter, we present the theory, concepts, and methodologies developed for one of the two main soybean transformation methods, particle bombardment of embryogenic cultures, and our efforts to develop new techniques for Agrobacterium-mediated soybean transformation using embryogenic cultures and sonication-assisted Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (SAAT). Salaries and research support were provided by state and federal funds appropriated to The Ohio State University/Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Mention of trademark or proprietary products does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by OSU/OARDC, and also does not imply approval to the exclusion of other products that may also be suitable.
