Enhanced transformation of tomato co-cultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58C1Rif(r)::pGSFR1161 in the presence of acetosyringone.

Explants of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill cv. Ailsa Craig) were co-cultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58C1Rif(r)::pGSFR1161 in the presence of 20 (μM acetosyringone). Transformed root clones were selected on kanamycin medium and the presence of the nptII gene in the plant DNA confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction. Root clones derived from acetosyringone treatment grew more vigorously in the presence of kanamycin and synthesized a greater amount of NPT-II enzyme. The conclusion is that acetosyringone treatment enhances the transformation process, possibly by stimulating multiple insertions of the T-DNA into the host genome.