Agrobacterium-mediated Transformation of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a popular herb with high economic value and is currently threatened by a severe oomycete disease. An efficient transformation method is a prerequisite for gene functional analysis to accelerate molecular breeding and deploy effective disease management strategies, and breeding through genetic engineering. Here we present a detailed protocol for a highly efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation method for sweet basil, which was established based on a previously reported method by other researchers, with modifications on several aspects, including growth of sweet basil, age of plants used for explants, preparation and concentration of Agrobacteria. This protocol allows researchers in academia and agroindustry to generate transgenic sweet basil plants in an easy, quick and highly reproducible manner. In addition, this protocol may be applicable to transform other species within the genus Ocimum.