Genetic transformation of plantain (Musa sp cv. Harton) by a biobalistic method applied to meristematic tissue

Plantain is one of the most important crops in the world as it is the basic food staple of millions of people and an important source of income for producing countries. In the last years, world plantain production has been affected by numerous diseases generated by viruses, bacteria, fungi and insects, resulting in large production loses and requiring the use of fungicides and insecticides that cause important environmental damage and contribute to production cost increase. Multiple institutions focus their research on the development of resistant varieties of plantain and banana through different plant improvement methods such as mutagenesis, somatoclonal variation and genetic transformation. In this research, the biobalistic method was used to transform in vitro caulinar buds of plantain (Musa cv. "Harton") with tungsten microparticles covered by the DNA plasmid CAMBIA3201 carrying the gus and bar genes, at different distances and pressures, with a homemade low pressure bombardment machine. Apex transformation was accomplished at a tissue-cannon distance of 9.5cm, He pressure of 150psi and DNA concentration of 2 mu g/shot. A total of 22 transformed plants carrying the gus and bar genes were obtained as shown by the GUS histochemical test. PCR with specific initiators was used to verify their insertion in the genomic DNA.