Transformation of homozygous diploid potato with an Agrobacterium tumefaciens binary vector system by adventitious shoot regeneration on leaf and stem segments.

Transformed potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants were obtained from homozygous diploid potato by using a transformation procedure in combination with an adventitious shoot regeneration method. Leaf and stem explants were inoculated with an Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain which contained a binary vector (pVU 1011) carrying the neomycin phosphotransferase gene. Shoot regeneration most effectively on stem explants, occurred within six weeks directly from the explants without introducing a callus phase. A strong seasonal influence on transformation efficiencies was observed. Analysis of a number of randomly selected regenerated shoots for their ability to root and form shoots on kanamycin-containing medium shows that over 90% of the regenerated shoots obtained are transformed. In a number of shoots transformation was confirmed by a test for the presence and expression of the NPT-II gene.