AUTHOR=Das Bhowmik Sudipta Shekhar , Cheng Alam Yen , Long Hao , Tan Grace Zi Hao , Hoang Thi My Linh , Karbaschi Mohammad Reza , Williams Brett , Higgins Thomas Joseph V. , Mundree Sagadevan G. 

TITLE=Robust Genetic Transformation System to Obtain Non-chimeric Transgenic Chickpea

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2019.00524

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2019.00524

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Chickpea transformation is an important component for the genetic improvement of this crop, achieved through modern biotechnological approaches. However, recalcitrant tissue cultures and occasional chimerism, encountered during transformation, hinder the efficient generation of transgenic chickpeas. Two key parameters, namely micro-injury and light emitting diode (LED)-based lighting were used to increase transformation efficiency. Early PCR confirmation of positive <italic>in vitro</italic> transgenic shoots, together with efficient grafting and an extended acclimatization procedure contributed to the rapid generation of transgenic plants. High intensity LED light facilitate chickpea plants to complete their life cycle within 9 weeks thus enabling up to two generations of stable transgenic chickpea lines within 8 months. The method was validated with several genes from different sources, either as single or multi-gene cassettes. Stable transgenic chickpea lines containing GUS (<italic>uidA</italic>), stress tolerance (<italic>AtBAG4</italic> and <italic>TlBAG</italic>), as well as Fe-biofortification (<italic>OsNAS2</italic> and <italic>CaNAS2</italic>) genes have successfully been produced.</p>