Transformation of HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen) gene into tomato mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Abstract

The plant expression vector pBRSAg was constructed as suitable for transformation via Agrobacterium-mediated approach. It contains all elements for plant expression, such as CaMV 35S promoter, both left and right border sequence for transferred DNA (T-DNA) in Agrobacterium, plant reporter gene gus, and plant selection marker gene hpt. The recombinant binary vector pBRSAg was transformed into Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains by using the freeze-thaw method. Tomato cotyledon explants were transformed by A. tumefaciens and plants were regenerated on selection medium. GUS staining, PCR and PCR-Southern analysis of the plants were positive. It was for the first time shown that the HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen) gene was introduced into tomato plants. The expression of transgene is under investigation.