Protoplast Isolation and Transfection in Rice

Rice (Oryza sativa) is an important cereal crop and a model monocot plant for biology research. The reliable system of foreign DNA transformation and expression is a valuable strategy for basic research and molecular breeding application in rice. The Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated foreign DNA transformation system was a powerful tool for genetic research. However, it needs a long period to obtain the stable transformants for further analysis and the transformation rate limits in some organism. Protoplasts are plant cells without a cell wall, and it is much easier for foreign DNA transformation and expression. It has been widely applied in transient expression. Here, we describe a simple method for efficient protoplast isolation and transfection in rice.