Digitaria sanguinalis, a widespread African grass, was micropropagated from immature inflorescences. Embryogenic calli generated was transformed with XvPerl using the Biolistic gene gun. XvPer 1 shares high similarity to a recently discovered group of antioxidants, the 1-Cys PRX's. A homologue was shown to be absent in D. sanguinalis by northern, Southern and weotstern Bls.