Find in Library

Flower color is an important characteristic that determines the commercial value of ornamental plants. The development of modern biotechnology methods such as genetic engineering enables the creation of new flower colors that cannot be achieved with classical methods of hybridization or mutational breeding. This is the first report on the successful <i>Agrobacterium</i>-mediated genetic transformation of <i>Viola cornuta</i> L. The hypocotyl explants of cv. “Lutea Splendens” variety with yellow flowers were transformed with <i>A. tumefaciens</i> carrying empty pWBVec10a vector (<i>Llccs</i>⁻) or pWBVec10a/CaMV 35S::<i>Llccs</i>::TNos vector (<i>Llccs</i>⁺) for capsanthin/capsorubin synthase gene (<i>Llccs</i>) from tiger lily (<i>Lilium lancifolium)</i>. A comparative study of shoot multiplication, rooting ability during culture in vitro, as well as phenotypic characteristics of untransformed (control) and transgenic <i>Llccs</i>⁻ and <i>Llccs</i>⁺ plants during ex vitro growth and flowering is presented. Successful integration of <i>Llccs</i> transgene allows the synthesis of red pigment capsanthin in petal cells that gives flowers different shades of an orange/reddish color. We demonstrate that the ectopic expression of <i>Llccs</i> gene in ornamental plants, such as <i>V. cornuta</i> “Lutea Splendens” could successfully be used to change flower color from yellow to different shades of orange.