ESTABELECIMENTO DE UM PROTOCOLO DE TRANSFORMAÇÃO GENÉTICA E REGENERAÇÃO DE FEIJÃO NHEMBA (VIGNA UNGUICULATA L. WALP)

Resumo

The cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is a legume that is a staple food in many developing countries and particularly in Mozambique. However, it has low productivity mainly due to susceptibility to abiotic pests and therefore deserves special attention from the standpoint of improving the crop itself. This paper describes the first attempt to establish a protocol for genetic transformation and regeneration of plants efficient for a local Mozambican variety of cowpea mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Thirty six culture media with different concentrations of growth regulators were initially tested to evaluate the response to the morphogenesis of the explants (hypocotyls, epicotyls, leaf discs and grains). In order to study and implement a gene transfer protocol, the gene gus was used as the reporter gene and the selectable marker gene nptII. It was observed a low infectivity and low Agrobacterium-mediated transfer by the various types of explants tested, materialized by the almost total absence of labeling with gus staining. Therefore, it is recommended to explore a larger number of parameters involved in the co-culture in order to achieve higher levels of gene transfer and regeneration in this genotype.