Abstract: A high efficient genetic transformation system was developed using hypocotyl explants for producing transgenic red-purple long eggplant（Solanum melongena L.）. To generate SmARF8 gene RNAi transgenic eggplant plants，the binary vector pCAMBIAI 35S-2300-SmARF8-INT with the selectable marker gene neomycin phosphotransferase（NPTⅡ）was constructed and transformed into eggplant hypocotyl explantsvia Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated infection. Transgenic plantlets were induced on MS selective media containing 2 mg · L^-1 indole-3-acetic acid，0.5 mg · L^-1 zeatin，25 mg · L^-1 kanamycin and 500 mg · L^-1 cefotaxime with regeneration ratio higher to 80%. Subsequently，the transgenic plantlets kept growing on same medium and then rooted efficiently on MS basic media to become transgenic plants. The RT-PCR and qRT-PCR analysis showed no or less transcript of SmARF8 in T₀ transgenic generation. Further Southern blot analysis of selected T₀ transgenic plants confirmed the presence of single T-DNA insertion. These results demonstrate that the endogenesis SmARF8 has been successfully knocked out in eggplant using the established transgenic system in this study.

Key words: eggplant, genetic transformation, RNA interference, Agrobacterium tumefaciens