ABSTRACT
This chapter explains Rice transformation experiments reported after 1990. Following a now standard PEG-mediated fusion protocol, they were able to obtain kanamycin-resistant colonies which developed into transgenic callus (characterized by enzyme assays and molecular analyses). A number of articles in which rice transformation has been reviewed have been published. In this chapter, the authors describe and review all aspects of gene transfer into rice, including these latest results. They assesses the suitability of various promoters and selectable markers used commonly in dicotyledonous plants for selection of engineered rice callus tissue. It is, therefore, not surprising that very few practical successes have been reported utilizing somatic hybridization, especially in the major agronomic crops. Points of interest from the report include the following: transformation frequencies were increased to levels of 10-15% based on the number of bombarded explants; the genotype-independent nature of the method was firmly established by recovering transgenic rice plants from additional varieties.
