Annual Report of Progress
to the
MISSISSIPPI SOYBEAN PROMOTION BOARD
for 1997

Objectives & Significant Accomplishments 

Summary

1. Completed the development of unique protocols (sets of procedures) for transforming and regenerating soybean tissues in culture. The regeneration protocol is depicted in Figure 1. Progeny of regenerants are being analyzed for detection of off-types (which is not desired). 

2. Filed a patent application (funded by the MSPB) on the developed gene transfer and regeneration protocols for soybean. To date, three companies have signed non-disclosure agreements with MSU to analyze this technology. At least two others are also interested, but waiting for us to confirm our transformation process by producing transformed soybean. 

3. Hired and trained a research assistant in the above-mentioned soybean protocols prior to Dr. Dan's departure (postdoc; hired by Monsanto). 

4. Initiated and are currently maintaining numerous sets of soybean tissues bombarded with DNA to screen for confirmation of transformation. 

5. A manuscript detailing our soybean regeneration protocol is in press. An additional regeneration manuscript is in the final stages of preparation which detailing a different regeneration protocol. A manuscript detailing production and confirmation of transgenic soybeans is in the early stages of preparation. Publication of these scientific articles should dramatically increase the stature of our lab in the soybean transformation arena and may lead to future funding from additional sources. 

Accomplishment of Individual Objectives 

Numerous tissues were initiated and maintained for eventual screening after prolonged periods of selection. Hundreds of tissues are still being maintained and are at various stages of development. The soybean genotypes we have concentrated on include maturity groups IV (Crawford), V (Hill, York, DT9515091, DT9515550) and VI (PI398469). The DT lines are promising breeding lines from Dr. Jeff Tyler's breeding program. 

DNA was extracted from approximately 20 different putatively transgenic soybean shoots and analyzed via PCR, but none contained foreign DNA (not transformed). Other tissues were recently screened via histochemical assays. Shoot tips or leaves from 5 small shoots (line P1398469) expressed the §-glucuronidase (GUS) gene product, indicating the presence of foreign DNA (Figure 2). (Those tissues had been bombarded in June, 1997 and last week, the regenerated shoots were finally large enough to sacrifice a portion of each for analysis.) 

 Unfortunately, our project did not get this far to accomplish this goal last year. 

Publication:

Dan, Y., and N.A. Reichert. 1998. Organogenic regeneration of soybean from hypocotyl explants. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology - Plant 34:000-000.

Soybeans in Mississippi Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station  Mississippi State University Extension Service Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine

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