Patent ID: 6518485
Filing Date: 2003-02-11
Classification: C12N

Abstract:
A method for genetically engineering conifers selected from the group consisting of the genus Pinus and Pinus interspecies hybrids, which comprises:(a) placing conifer target tissue selected from the group consisting of embryogenic tissue containing pre-stage 3 somatic embryos, pre-stage 3 somatic embryos, pre-stage 3 zygotic embryos, and combinations thereof, on a target surface; (b) bombarding the target tissue by physically accelerating at the target tissue carrier particles which are much smaller than the cells of the target tissue, the carrier particles carrying copies of a genetic construction including at least one gene of interest; (c) inducing the bombarded target tissue to form proliferative tissue which is capable of forming somatic embryos; (d) during the step of inducing, culturing the bombarded target tissue on selection medium so as to select for embryogenic tissue which is transformed by the gene of interest; (e) inducing transformed somatic embryos to develop from the selected embryogenic tissue; and (f) germinating and converting the transformed somatic embryos thus produced into clonal transgenic conifer plants.