Transgenic plants of turfgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.) from microprojectile bombardment of embryogenic callus.

Transgenic creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds., cv. Pencross; Poaceae) plants have been obtained by microprojectile bombardment of and regeneration from embryogenic calli with a vector designed to deliver the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene under the control of rice actin 1 5' regulatory sequences. Southern analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified and restriction-digested genomic DNA of four transgenic plants regenerated from these cultures showed the unscrambled integration of the gus fragment. Northern blot analysis confirmed the expression of gus mRNA in one of the transgenic plants. Western blot analysis revealed a high level of accumulation of gus protein. Histochemical assays showed enzymatic activity of β-glucuronidase in all parts of the transgenic turfgrass plant. The order of gus expression level in different tissues of the transgenic plant is as follows: stem node > first young leaf > root tip > second / third / fourth young leaf > stem internode > root hair-zone.