The objective of this work was to establish in vitro systems for sugarcane plant multiplication and for regeneration from shoot apices excised from these plants. Three methods were analyzed: culture on semi-solid medium and liquid culture with or without agitation. The highest regeneration rates were obtained from cultures in liquid-medium with agitation. Shoot tips derived from these plants presented regeneration rates suitable for utilization in transformation protocols. PPT-resistant and GUS positive calluses were obtained from explants of in vitro plants of Chunnee variety inoculated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58C1 (pMP90) (pDUBarA9). The established in vitro culture system can be applied for transgenic sugarcane production, aiming at gene regulation studies and introduction of agronomical traits.
Saccharum; micropropagation; genetic transformation; Agrobacterium tumefaciens
