Methods for rapid agrobacterium-mediated sunflower stable transformation

Abstract

This disclosure provides methods of genetic transformation of sunflower, which are based on Agrobacterium-mediated gene delivery to meristem cells of freshly imbibed/germinated sunflower seeds. One embodiment of the disclosure is methods of directly transforming Helianthus annuus with a heterologous polynucleotide from a mature seed comprising: generating an explant from a germinated a H. annuus seed to remove cotyledon and primary leaves with complete meristem and shoot radical; contacting the H. annuus explant comprising the cotyledon with an Agrobacterium comprising a heterologous polynucleotide in an infection medium supplemented with a plant hormone using a vacuum and sonication; co-culturing the explant from a germinated a H. annuus plant in the presence of the Agrobacterium in a medium lacking the plant hormone; culturing the mature seed explant in a regeneration medium comprising a selection agent; and culturing the seed with regenerated shoot with secondary roots in a medium lacking a selection agent.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.