Development of herbicide-tolerant Korean rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) cultivars

• Published in: Journal of Plant Biotechnology Vol. 37; no. 3
• Main Authors: Kim, H.J., Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea, Lee, H.J., Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea, Go, Y.S., Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea, Roh, K.H., National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA, Suwon, Republic of Korea, Lee, Y.H., Bioenergy Crop Research Center, NICS, RDA, Muan, Republic of Korea, Jang, Y.S., Bioenergy Crop Research Center, NICS, RDA, Muan, Republic of Korea, Suh, M.C., Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 01.09.2010
• Subjects: BRASSICA NAPUS
• ISSN: 1598-6365; 2384-1397

An interest in the production of seed-oil based fuel and raw materials, which comes from renewable plant sources, has been intrigued by the phenomenon of global warming and shortage of fossil fuels. Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is the most important oilseed crop, which produces seeds with 40% oil. It is desirable to develop genetically modified rapeseed producing oils, which can be easily converted to biodiesel. As an initial step for development of genetically modified rapeseed for the production of biofuels or bio-based materials, Korean rapeseed cultivars, Naehan, Youngsan, Tammi and Halla, were analyzed. Four Korean rapeseed cultivars produce 32 to 40% oil of seed dry weight, which is rich in oleic acid (more than 60 mole%). The cotyledonary petioles of rapeseed cultivar, Halla, were transformed using Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain GV3101, carrying the uidA gene encoding β-glucuronidase (GUS) as a reporter gene and the phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) gene as a selectable marker. The stable integration of PAT gene in the genome of transgenic rapeseeds was confirmed by PCR analysis. Expression of uidA gene in various rapeseed organs was determined by fluorometric assay and histochemical staining. Transformation efficiency of a Korean rapeseed Halla cultivar was 10.4%. Genetic inheritance of transgenes was confirmed in T₂ generation.