An efficient procedure for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of zygotic embryos derived from three different Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes has been developed. This procedure yielded an average transformation rate of 76% for ecotype C24, and 15-20% for ecotypes Landsberg-erecta and Columbia. A critical step for optimal transformation was the preculture of embryos on a phytohormone-containing medium. Light and electron microscopical studies showed that, during preculture, procambium cells of embryos became highly susceptible to Agrobacterium infection. Transformed cells developed calli and regenerated shoots within 4-5 weeks of culture. A total of 1500 fertile transgenic plants were regenerated. In regenerated plants the presence of inserted DNA was verified by genomic Southern blot analysis, assays of enzymatic activities of reporter genes (neomycin phosphotransferase II and beta-glucuronidase) as well as by genetic segregation tests. R1 progenies of 45 randomly chosen transformed lines and 150 independent regenerants did not show any somaclonal variations as ascertained by both morphological and cytological criteria. Short duration (7-8 weeks), high efficiency, reproducibility and low frequency of somaclonal variation makes the zygotic embryo transformation particularly well-suited for T-DNA tagging mutagenesis.