Effective transformation of wild tomato species Solanum pimpinellifolium mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Abstract

Genetic transformation has become a routine method for understanding the growth and development of crops and promoting sustainable agricultural production. The standard transformation methodology for tomato crops, as a model plant, has been extensively established. However, most studies have focused on tomato cultivars with typical genotypes, while less information is known about wild species that have the potential for crop improvement. This study aimed to construct an effective transformation system for the wild species Solanum pimpinellifoliumbased on a routine method.The results indicate that the addition of acetosyringone promotes shoot regeneration in the wild species S. pimpinellifolium. A reduced IAA content along with an appropriate Zeatin level plays a key role in improving regeneration efficiency. Using a lower bacterial solution (OD600 = 0.25) and a shorter infestation time (15 minutes) may also benefit the regeneration efficiency. Although the transformation of S. pimpinellifolium has shown genotype dependence, a medium named B2 in this study shows potential for broad applicability in the wild species S. pimpinellifolium. The findings from this study will contribute to the understanding of wild species and their potential role in tomato improvement.