Optimization of Factors Affecting the Efficiency of Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation of Wolffia arrhiza

Plants of the duckweed family (Lemna, Spirodela) are actively used as expression platforms for the production of recombinant proteins due to a number of their advantages over other crops (small size, rapid vegetative reproduction, and high protein content in tissues). Rootless wolffia (Wolffia arrhiza (L.) Horkel ex Wimm) is a promising producer from the Lemnaceae family. Current Wolffia transformation protocols have an efficiency of approximately 0.36%. Based on transient expression, we have identified the most efficient Agrobacterium strain, EHA105, for the W. arrhiza transformation. An effective balance of growth regulators was selected for use at the first passage of cultivation and selection of transformed explants: 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2.5 mg/L and 6-benzylaminopurine, 1.5 mg/L. The transformation efficiency of W. arrhiza was 0.54%, which is 1.5 times higher than in known protocols.