Improved protocol for Agrobacterium mediated transformation of tomato and production of transgenic plants containing carotenoid biosynthetic gene CsZCD

Improved protocol for Agrobacterium mediated transformation of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) Micro-Tom was developed to use in corporation of the carotenoid biosynthetic genes CsZCD (Crocus zeaxanthin 7,8-cleavage dioxygenase). From these experiment, a transformation methodology using explants from cotyledons cultured for 1 day on the medium with zeatin 2 mg/L, IAA 0.1 mg/L, carefully submerged in the Agrobacterium inoculum for 20 min, then concultured with the agrobacterium for 3 days on the same medium, followed by a transfer to the same medium with 500 mg/L cefotaxin for 3 days and then by a transfer to the same medium with 100 mg/L kanamycin and 500 mg/L carabenillin for 6–8 weeks and resulted in a greater than 20% transformation efficiency in the concentration of Agrobacterium OD600 = 0.2 tested. In this transformation method, no feeder layers were used and the subculture media was minimal. Among the Agrobacterium concentrations of OD600 = 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0, the best transformation efficiency, 20.87%, was obtained by using OD600 = 0.2, which was significantly higher than that of OD600 = 1.0. The presence of the inserted target genes was checked using a rapid and efficient PCR test. The protocol was successfully employed in the production of transgenic Micro-Tom tomato containing the carotenoid biosynthesis CsZCD under constructive promoter. This procedure represents a simple, efficient and general means of transforming tomato.