BIOLISTIC TRANSFORMATION OF FLOWERS: TRANSGENE-MEDIATED DISEASE RESISTANCE

FLOWER CROP BREEDING PROGRAMS HAVE LAGGED BEHIND FOOD CROP BLEEDING PROGRAMS IN THE IDENTIFICFICATION AND UTILIZATION OF HOST RESISTANCE GENES TO VIRAL, BACTERIAL, AND FUNGAL PATHOGENS, AS WELL AS TO INSECTS AND NEMATODES. CONSEQUENTLY DISSEASE MANAGEMENT IN FLOWER PRODUCTION HAS RELIED HEAVILY ON CHEMICAL CONTROL. THE EXTENSIVE USE OF AGROCHEMICALS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES GROWERS' COSTS AND CONTRIBUTES TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION. WE PROPOSE TO ESTABLISH GENETIC TRANSFORMATION SYSTEMS (VIA PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT OR THE "BILISTIC" PROCESS) FOR A NUMBER OF THE MAJOR FLOWER CROPS GROWN IN THE UNITED STATES. MOLECULAR GENETICS OFFERS THE OPPORTUNITY OF CONFERRING TRANSGENE-MEDIATED DISEASE RESISTANCE TO A NUMBER OF COMMERCIALLY-IMPORTANT FLOWER PATHOGENS TO REDUCE BOTH GROWERS'S COSTS (AND THUS INCREASE THEIR COMPETITIVENESS IN THE INTERNATIONALFLOWER MARKETPLACE) AND ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE (THROUGH LESS PESTICIDE USE). IN PHASE I, PARAMETERS FOR THE EFFICIENT AND REPRODUCTIBLE BIOLISTIC TRANSFORMATION OF SEVERAL MAJOR FLOWER CROPS WILL BE ESTABLISHED. THESE PARAMETERS INCLUDE AN EVALUATION OF GENE PROMOTERS, OPTIMIZATION OF GENE DELIVERY, AND EVALUATION OF A SELECTION SYSTEM FOR RECOVERING BOTH DICOTYLEDONOUS AND MONOCOTYLEDONOUS TRANSGENIC FLOWERS. IN PHASE II, THE TRANSGENIC NATURE OF THE REGENERATED FLOWERS WILL BE CONFIRMED, SOME IF WHICH WILL CONTAIN TRANGENES THAT SHOULD CONFER RESISTANCE TO COMMERCIALLY-IMPORTANT PATHOGENS. THESE PLANTS WILL BE TESTED FOR SUCH RESISTANCES AND PREPARED FOR COMMERCIAL RELEASE.