22 – Improved Vectors for Plant Transformation: Expression Cassette Vectors and New Selectable Markers

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses improved vectors for plant transformation. The Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ti plasmid-derived vectors are the easiest and most utilized of the various schemes for the introduction of DNAs into plants. The great size of the disarmed Ti plasmid and lack of unique restriction endonuclease sites prohibit direct cloning into the T-DNA. The pMON200 vector carries a 1.6-kb fragment of the disarmed T-DNA called the left inside homology (LIH) fragment that provides a region of homology for recombination. The chapter describes the expression cassette vectors that have been used to express coding sequences for a wide range of bacterial, mammalian, and plant genes. The availability of the simple-to-use expression cassette vectors will permit continued rapid progress in the introduction and testing of many additional prokaryotic and eukaryotic coding sequences in plants.