Root chicory (Cichorium intybus var. sativum) is cultivated mainly for inulin production. Inulin is added to a variety of products as a food additive. Genetic manipulation of inulin biosynthesis is an important molecular breeding strategy for chicory improvement. sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase (1-SST) is involved in the first step of the synthetic pathway of inulin in chicory plants. In this study, to investigate the possibility of long chain inulin production via genetic engineering, 1-SST gene was initially isolated from Taraxacum officinale, and it was overexpressed in chicory. First an expression vector harbouring dandelion 1-SST was constructed. Transgenic chicory plants were made using an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method. Quantification of transcript levels of 1-SST in transgenic and non- transgenic plants showed higher level of 1-SST transcript in the transgenic plants.
