The development of cold resistance rootstock using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Arabidopsis CBF3/DREB1A in bottle gourd (Lageneraria siceraria Standl.)

•C-repeat binding factor (CBF) act as transcription factor in plant involves in cold-response pathway.•An Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system has been used for introducing CBF3/DREB1A gene into bottle gourd.•Transgenic bottle gourds were better cold resistant and grow well at low soil temperature than non-transgenic plants.•The rootstock of CBF3 transgenic bottle gourd will contribute to production of watermelon fruit at lower soil temperature or in cold weather.

Plants growth and development are adversely affected by various abiotic stresses. Water and temperature plays important role on plant growth and crop yield. C-repeat binding factor (CBF) acts as transcription factor in plant that involve in cold-response pathway. It has major role in cold acclimation and cold response gene expression. An Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system has been established for introducing foreign gene into bottle gourd. We have introduced Arabidopsis CBF3/DREB1A gene into bottle gourd (Lageneraria siceraria Standl.) using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Experimental results confirmed that transgenic plants were better cold resistant than non-transgenic plants and CBF3/DREB1A gene was not transferred to stem, leaf and fruit of the grafted watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) from transgenic bottle gourd rootstock. Horticultural traits were similar for transgenic and non-transgenic plants. We concluded that the rootstock of transgenic bottle gourd might be used for growing watermelon at low soil temperature.