Methods of transforming corn

Abstract

Methods for plant transformation, for improving transformation efficiency, and for producing transgenic plants are provided. The methods comprise crossing a recipient plant from a genetic line of a plant species of interest with a donor plant selected from a transformation competent genetic line of the same plant species or of another closely related plant species to obtain a hybrid plant. Tissues obtained from the hybrid plant are transformation competent. These tissues can then be transformed with one or more nucleotide sequences of interest and selected for transgenic events having the nucleotide sequence of interest integrated within a chromosome derived from the recipient plant. Transformed cells can be selected and transgenic hybrid plants regenerated. The nucleotide sequence of interest can be introgressed into the genetic line from which the original recipient parent was derived, or into other genetic lines. Transformed plants and seeds are additionally provided.

1 . A method of developing a maize embryo that has increased transformation efficiency comprising crossing a transformation competent maize plant to a recalcitrant maize plant to obtain a maize embryo; wherein said embryo has increased transformation efficiency when compared to a transformation efficiency of an embryo from said recalcitrant maize plant and; wherein said transformation efficiency of the embryo and the transformation efficiency of the embryo of said recalcitrant maize plant are measured using the same experimental conditions.  
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the transformation competent plant is a male parent.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the transformation competent plant is a female parent.  
   
   
       4 . A method of developing a maize embryo that has increased transformation efficiency comprising crossing a first maize plant to a second maize to obtain a maize embryo; wherein said first maize plant produces embryos that when cultured produce type-II callus and said second maize plant produces embryos that when cultured do not produce type-II callus, and wherein the maize embryo produced from said cross has increased transformation efficiency when compared to a transformation efficiency of an embryo from said second maize plant and; wherein said transformation efficiency of the embryo produced from said cross and the transformation efficiency of the embryo of said second maize plant are measured using the same experimental conditions.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first maize plant is a male parent.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first maize plant is a female parent.