Small-Molecule Screening to Increase Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation Efficiency in Legumes

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is a powerful strategy for plant genetic engineering. However, the transformation efficiency of some grain legume crops is generally low. In this chapter, we describe a chemical screening procedure for improving the efficiency of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of a model legume, Lotus japonicus. Moreover, we explain the transformation protocol using chloroxynil, a phenolic compound that improves the efficiency.