Transformation of sugar cane plants susceptible to yellow leaf virus

Yellow leaf syndrome in sugarcane was detected in 1998 for the first time in Colombia. In order to control this syndrome Cenicaña is using several approaches including different disciplines as Entomology, Pathology, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. One of this approach is the production of transgenic plants resistant to the virus causal agent of the syndrome. For this purpose embriogenic calli of variety CC 84-75 have been bombarded. This variety is susceptible to the syndrome and is largely grown in Colombia. The genomic construction used in the bombardments includes a sequence coding for the coat protein of the virus. Sixty nine plants have been regenerated after selection with geneticin (50 mg/L). So far, 12 plants were positive using Southern Blot showing a 0.45 Kb fragment in the Pst I digests. Positive plants by Southern will be tested by Northern and resistance to the virus will be evaluated in biosafety greenhouse