Gateway®-compatible plant transformation vectors

Abstract

Studies in functional genomics and crop improvement programs often rely on the introduction and expression of transgenes in plants. There are two essential components required for in planta transgene expression, a plasmid vector on which the transgene sequence is carried and a delivery system capable of transferring the vector to the target cells. Agrobacterium -mediated plant transformation and the binary plasmid vector system is the preferred method of transgene delivery. The cloning technologies used for DNA manipulation underpin many of these studies. Increased demand for efficient high-throughput transformation systems is driving forward improvements in gene cloning techniques. This chapter gives an overview of Gateway®-compatible binary vectors for use in Agrobacterium -mediated transformation systems. It describes a fast, efficient, and robust cloning protocol for the production of an over-expression binary vector using Gateway® recombinational cloning.