Short Communication THE PRODUCTION OF TRANSGENIC POTATO PLANTS EXPRESSING HUMAN α-INTERFERON USING LIPOFECTIN- MEDIATED TRANSFORMATION

The lipofectin system was used to transform potato protoplasts with plasmid DNA (pIG3031), which contains human α-interferon cDNA and codes for the selectable neomycin phosphotransferase II gene (NPT II). Both genes are under the control of the bi-directional plant active transcriptional promoter from Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-DNA. The criteria of phenotype stability after selective pressure removal, in vitro activity assay of NPT II, the biological analysis of α-interferon activity, Southern blot analysis and RNA slot blot were used to confirm the mitotic stability of the foreign gene and its expression and stable integration into the host genome. These studies demonstrate that human α-interferon cDNA can be correctly expressed in potato cells.