In vitro shoot regeneration and genetic transformation of the gerbera (Gerbera hybrida Hort.) cultivar ‘Gold Eye’

This research was conducted to improve the cold tolerance of the gerbera cv. Gold Eye by introduction of the Arabidopsis Ca(2+)/H(+) antiporter gene (CAX1) via Agrobacteriummediated transformation. Prior to genetic transformation, we optimized a combination of plant growth regulators; 1.0 mgl(-1) 6-Benzyladenine (BA) and 0.1 mgl(-1) 3-indole-acetic acid (IAA) were found to lead to proper in vitro shoot regeneration from petiole explants. In addition, 50 mgl(-1) kanamycin was determined to be the minimal concentration useful for selection of putative transgenic plants. In this study, transgenic gerbera expressing the Arabidopsis Ca(2+)/H(+) antiporter gene (CAX1) were obtained using the optimized concentrations. We expect that introduction of the gene to the cultivar will improve cold tolerance, which will be important in the winter months.