Establishment of regeneration system and transformation of Zm401 gene in Lilium longiflorum × L. formosanum

In vitro bulb scales of Lilium longiflorum × L. formosanum were used as the explants to develop a high efficient regeneration system. One hundred percent of regeneration rate was reached through organogenesis on the basal MS media supplement with 1.0 mg/L 6-BA and 1.0 mg/L NAA. And, a genetic transformation system for the lily was also developed using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated method. 12‰ of genetic transformation rate was obtained according to the procedures: the explants were pre-cultured for 3 d, immersed into bacterial suspension (OD600≈0.8) for 5 min, and then co-cultivated for 5 d. The binary vector pBI121 containing Zm401, a maize pollen specific gene, was introduced into the Agrobacterium strain LBA4404 and transformed into the explants using the genetic transformation system, and the integration of the gene into lily genome was confirmed by PCR and PCR-Southern analysis. The results above can be as an important step to get new pollenless materials of lilies.