Compendium of Agrobacterium-Mediated Tissue Culture Transformation Methods of Various Solanaceae Species

The routine transformation and genetic modification of many plant species other than Arabidopsis thaliana is still an arduous task. In many cases, it is necessary to use special tissues or conditions performed under sterile tissue culture conditions. Nevertheless, this approach is often the most expedient one, and streamlining protocols to maximize efficiency and minimize effort without sacrificing quality is paramount to today's research agendas. The Solanaceae family tends to be amicable to tissue culture and relatively easy to transform. Here, we present our optimized, routine tissue culture protocols for the transformation of Nicotiana benthamiana, Nicotiana tabacum, Solanum tuberosum (potato), and Solanum lycopersicum (tomato). We highlight their commonalities and their differences, thus giving the researcher a framework for optimizing their own protocols in their laboratory if needed. Tissue culture transformation is still an important and dynamic field for the advancement of plant research in molecular genetics, physiology, and plant pathology, and will continue to be a viable and important resource into the future.