Development of an Efficient and Reproducible in Vitro Regeneration and Transformation Protocol for Luffa cylindrica (L.) Roem

Abstract

To establish an efficient in vitro regeneration system and lay a foundation for further research, the effects of shelling, plant hormones, explant position, infection parameters and other factors on the in vitro regeneration of luffa cotyledons were studied. The results showed that the best medium for inducing adventitious buds from luffa cotyledons was Murashige and Skoog (MS) + Thidiazuron (TDZ) 0.3 mg·L⁻¹+ Indole-3-Butyric acid (IBA) 0.02 mg·L⁻¹+ AgNO₃ 2 mg·L⁻¹+ sucrose 3 %, and the induction rate reached 95.83 %. However, different cotyledon cutting methods resulted in different regeneration rates of adventitious buds. Using this regeneration system, the ACS7 gene was successfully transferred into luffa by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.