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Abstract
Capsicum chinense is a recalcitrant species for in vitro morphogenesis, and up to date there is no efficient system for genetic transformation and regeneration of this species via somatic embryogenesis. Here, we carried out an in vitro transformation of C. chinense via Agrobacterium tumefaciens co-cultivation with a system that expresses the heterologous gene WUSCHEL from Arabidopsis thaliana. WUSCHEL has been shown to promote the transition from vegetative to embryogenic state when overexpressed. We tested if the expression of WUSCHEL in C. chinense would promote an embryogenic response in this species. After 15 days of induction, the segments of transformed stems begun to form globular structures, suggesting that heterologus WUSCHEL was active and involved in the process of morphogenesis.
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1 Unidad de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de Plantas, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
2 Laboratorio de Biotecnología, Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Bioquímica, Instituto Tecnológico de Mérida, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
3 Unidad de Biotecnologia, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico