Genetically modified ornamentals developed at the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science of Korea

The National Institute of Horticultural & Herbal Science (NIHHS) started studies to develop new chrysanthemum, rose, petunia, and ardisia in 1997, 2003, 2004, and 2006, respectively, using genetic transformation techniques. In this review, we will report the research results so far. We succeeded in obtaining chrysanthemum plants showing early-flowering and inhibition of axillary bud through Malus domestica (apple) MADS2-box gene (MdMADS2)- and Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato) lateral suppressor gene (LeLs)- and transfer in 2009 and 2013, respectively. In rose, plant regeneration through somatic embryogenesis, which is a prerequisite to develop genetic transformants, was successfully achieved in 2007. Then, in 2010, the genetic transformation procedure, which was not easy to develop in rose up to that time, was developed. In 2015, NIHHS obtained 7 Escherichia coli superoxide dismutase 2 gene (SOD2)-transgenic rose plants which were enhanced in resistance to drought. In 2017, we obtained 8 double-stranded RNA of the coatomer protein complex (dsCOPB2)-transgenic rose plants preventing scattering of the red spider mite Tetranychus urticae. In 2020, two flower color-modified the Viola tricolor flavonoid 3’,5’-hydroxylase (VtF3’5’H) and Rosa hybrida Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger (RhNHX) genes-transgenic rose lines (changed white into pink-purple) were obtained. Moreover, we developed the SOD2- and the Arabidopsis nucleoside diphosphate kinase 2 (AtNDPK2)-transgenic petunia lines resistant to abiotic stresses, respectively, and another transgenic petunia lines having both the SOD2 and AtNDPK2 gene at the same time and resistant to sulfur dioxide gas, and the Arabidopsis glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase gene (AtFALDH)-transgenic petunia line enhanced in the ability to detoxify formaldehyde gas. Furthermore, we succeeded in setting up the optimal condition for shoot regeneration from internodes of ardisia (Ardisia pusilla) in 2006. Recently, NIHHS developed AtNDPK2- and the cytochrome P450 2E1 gene (CYP2E1)-transgenic ardisia plants enhanced in removing exogenous toluene gas, respectively.