Production of transgenic Arabidopsis carrying the oil palm Eg4CL1 gene
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11113/jurnalteknologi.v88.24847Abstract
Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is a major source of biomass for biofuel production, in addition to yielding edible oil. However, its high lignin content limits biofuel production efficiency, presenting challenges for industrial applications. The oil palm Eg4CL1 gene has been suggested to play a key role in lignin biosynthesis, but its function remains unverified. Developing transgenic plants that express Eg4CL1 could aid in understanding its potential role. This study aims to generate transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing the oil palm Eg4CL1 gene, which will serve as a tool for functional studies. The 1,623-bp Eg4CL1 gene was PCR amplified, cloned into the pMDC32 vector, and introduced into Arabidopsis using Agrobacterium tumefaciens through the floral dip method. Putative transgenic seedlings were selected on hygromycin-containing media and cultivated on substrate for molecular analysis. Ten putative transgenic lines were randomly selected and verified for transgene integration using PCR. Out of 3,000 seeds screened, 70 hygromycin-resistant seedlings were identified. PCR analysis produced a product of target size from all lines analyzed, reflecting stable integration of the Eg4CL1 gene. These results indicate the genetic transformation of Arabidopsis was successfully accomplished. The establishment of transgenic Arabidopsis expressing Eg4CL1 will support future functional analysis.
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