Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation of symbiodinium spp.

Abstract

Symbiodinium spp conducts symbiosis mutualism within a wide phyletic range of marine invertebrate hosts including corals and anemones. The present study investigates the transformation of foreign genes into the free living cultured Symbiodinium spp by co-cultured Symbiodinium cells with A. tumefaciens. Ti-plasmid-based binary vector harboring the GUS and GFP genes were transformed into Symbiodinium cells by co-cultivation. GUS histochemical assay was monitored in Symbiodinium cells under light microscopy. Putative GFP in transformed Symbiodinium cells was detected by immunoassaying with antibodies against GFP protein. These results suggest that A. tumefaciens could provide efficient tools for gene transformation of Symbiodinium cells.