Molecular Microbiology Research, 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 1-9 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/mmr 6 In order to reduce this uncertainty, researchers have also put a lot of effort into cultivating conditions. For example, which explant is used, it is very important. Experiments have found that cotyledon explants are more stable than other types and have a lower incidence of somatic cell mutation (Pawełkowicz et al., 2021). In addition, the combination and timing of antibiotics are not casually set. Some studies have pointed out that drugs such as cefotaxime sodium and temetin can not only inhibit Agrobacterium rhizogenes, but also reduce the occurrence of somatic mutations to a certain extent (Chai et al., 2020a; 2020b). 6 Applications of Genetic Transformation in Cucumis 6.1 Development of disease-resistant varieties To improve the disease resistance of cucumber plants, traditional breeding does not always keep up with the pace, especially when facing complex diseases, progress is often slow. At this time, the gene transformation technology mediated by Agrobacterium rhizogenes becomes particularly useful. It does not rely on hybridization, but directly "send" disease-resistant genes into the plant body to enhance resistance from the source. Some experiments have proved that this path works. For example, after introducing specific disease resistance genes into cucumbers (Cucumis sativus), the disease resistance of plants is significantly improved, and can be topped off when some traditional methods are not effective (Chai et al., 2020a; 2020b). More importantly, this transformation is not just the kind that "try it" - using Agrobacterium rhizogenes with pCAMBIA2300s plasmid, which not only can be transformed, but can also stably integrate the target gene and subsequent expression is also reliable. 6.2 Enhancing abiotic stress tolerance Whether the cucumber genus grows well in the fields sometimes depends not only on how much fertilizer is applied and how fine the pipe is, but also on abiotic stresses such as drought, saline and extreme temperatures may greatly reduce both yield and quality. To deal with this kind of problem, conventional breeding alone is not very useful. Researchers have also begun to use gene transformation to find breakthroughs in recent years. Agrobacterium nodule mediated transformation technology has already been used in this regard. There is a very representative example: researchers transferred the reversible gene in peas (Pisum sativum) to citrus plants, and the results showed that both drought resistance and salt resistance have been significantly improved (Hasan et al., 2019). Although this experiment is not done for cucumbers, it provides a way of thinking - a similar method can be used entirely on cucumber plants. And it’s not just a talk, but there are already related attempts. Chai et al. (2020a; 2020b) have introduced stress-resistant genes into cucumbers, and it turns out that this technology can indeed play a role in improving abiotic stress tolerance. 6.3 Improvement of nutritional and quality traits When it comes to cucumber plants, many people may think of yield or disease resistance, but in fact their nutrition and quality are also a part of what they pay great attention to when breeding. How to improve these indicators, traditional breeding efficiency is too slow, and conversion technology becomes an important tool. Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated gene transformation has been used to introduce some nutrition-related genes, such as those that can make the fruit contain more vitamins or minerals. In addition to nutrition, some studies have also tried to improve flavor, fruit size, and even extend freshness (Ziemienowicz et al., 2014; Chai et al., 2020a; 2020b). Although it is not easy to improve either, technical attempts are being made slowly. Of course, importing genes alone is not enough. To improve success rates, researchers also worked on transformation programs, such as the use of certain antibiotics or the addition of ferulic acid ketone, which showed that these detailed operations can indeed make the improvement process more efficient (Chai et al., 2020a; 2020b). 7 Case Studies and Field Applications 7.1 Successful examples in commercial cultivation Can Agrobacterium rhizogenes be used in commercial breeding of cucumbers? Many experiments have given answers. Examples of this variety like Poinsett 76 are quite typical. The researchers used the EHA105 strain. After optimizing cotyledon explants and screening systems, the conversion efficiency suddenly reached 23% (Wang et al., 2015). This is relatively high in cucumber transformation, and it also makes this method a genetic
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