Agrobacterium - and microprojectile - mediated viral DNA delivery into barley microspore-derived cultures.

Anther cultures of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. "Igri") were used as targets for Agrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer and direct DNA uptake by particle bombardment. A wheat dwarf virus construct which can replicate to a high copy number in cereal cells provided a sensitive marker for successful DNA delivery. Although DNA delivery was achieved using both procedures, particle bombardment gave more reproducible and higher levels of infection. The ability to deliver DNA into cereal cells which have a high regeneration capacity may provide a route for stable transformation.