Genetic transformation of barley microspores using anther bombardment.

Bombardment of intact anthers of commercial barley (Hordeum vulgare) varieties resulted in 0.5-1.0% of transformed microspores of which 20-40% continued in androgenic development (0.2% of all bombarded microspores). Using a system based on bombardment of anthers is therefore likely to be more technically efficient than the use of a microspore isolation, transformation and regeneration system. Bombardment of anthers has a number of technical and scientific advantages over existing systems for gene transfer and can be considered as a alternative method to existing methods for genetic transformation in barley.