Comparison between Agrobacterium-mediated and direct gene transfer using the gene gun.

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and direct gene transfer using the gene gun (microparticle -bombardment) are the two most widely used methods for plant genetic modification. The Agrobacterium method has been successfully practiced in dicots for many years, but only recently have efficient protocols been developed for grasses. Microparticle bombardment has evolved as a method delivering exogenous nucleic acids into plant genome and is a commonly employed technique in plant science. Here these two systems are compared for transformation efficiency, transgene integration, and transgene expression when used to transform tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). The tall fescue transformation protocols lead to the production of large numbers of fertile, independent transgenic lines.