Plastid Transformation of Maize

Abstract

A method is provided for transforming monocotyledonous plants to express DNA sequences of interest from plant cell plastids. The method allows the transformation of monocot plant tissue with heterologous DNA constructs. The invention also provides for monocot cells in which the plastids contain heterologous DNA constructs.

1 - 2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . A method for transforming a plastid of a maize cell, said method comprising:
 (a) culturing an immature embryo of a maize plant in a medium in the absence of light to obtain pre-cultured immature embryo;   (b) introducing an exogenous DNA molecule of interest comprising an expression cassette into at least one cell of said pre-cultured immature embryo, wherein said expression cassette is expressible in a plastid and becomes integrated into a plastid genome of said at least one cell; and   (c) selecting for at least one plastid transformed maize cell from said pre-cultured immature embryo comprising said expression cassette.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said exogenous DNA molecule is introduced into at least one cell of said pre-cultured immature embryo through particle bombardment. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said expression cassette comprises a selectable marker gene conferring tolerance to a selective agent, and wherein said selecting step comprises selection with said selective agent. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said selectable marker gene is an aadA gene and said selective agent is spectinomycin or streptomycin. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said selectable marker gene is a CP4 gene and said selective agent is glyphosate. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said selectable marker gene is under the control of a plastid functional promoter. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said expression cassette further comprises a screenable marker. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said screenable marker is a GFP gene. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said maize plant is selected from the group consisting of H99, (PA91×H99)×A188, Honey and Pearl, HiII and LH198×HiII. 
     
     
         12 . A method of producing a transplastomic maize plant, said method comprising:
 (a) transforming a plastid of at least one maize plant cell according to the method of claim  13 ; and   (b) regenerating a maize plant from the at least one plastid transformed maize plant cell to produce said transplastomic maize plant.